9781803095516
Distributed for Seagull Books
Chapal Rani, the Last Queen of Bengal
The Life and Times of a Female Impersonator
Blending biography with evocative vignettes, Chapal Rani traces the career of Bengali stage actor Chapal Bhaduri and his struggle for artistic identity in a changing world.
As the last great female impersonator of Bengali theater, Chapal Bhaduri—known as Chapal Rani—once held audiences spellbound in the jatra tradition, where men became goddesses and heroines. But when women finally took their place on stage, Chapal found himself exiled from the world he had ruled. In this groundbreaking biography, Sandip Roy captures the rise and fall of a performer whose art was inseparable from his identity.
Told in Chapal’s own voice and interwoven with evocative fictional vignettes, Chapal Rani, the Last Queen of Bengal brings to life Kolkata’s golden age of theater and the resilience of a man who refused to disappear. Through decades of research and deeply personal interviews, Roy crafts a moving portrait of gender and belonging.
As the last great female impersonator of Bengali theater, Chapal Bhaduri—known as Chapal Rani—once held audiences spellbound in the jatra tradition, where men became goddesses and heroines. But when women finally took their place on stage, Chapal found himself exiled from the world he had ruled. In this groundbreaking biography, Sandip Roy captures the rise and fall of a performer whose art was inseparable from his identity.
Told in Chapal’s own voice and interwoven with evocative fictional vignettes, Chapal Rani, the Last Queen of Bengal brings to life Kolkata’s golden age of theater and the resilience of a man who refused to disappear. Through decades of research and deeply personal interviews, Roy crafts a moving portrait of gender and belonging.
520 pages | 6 x 9 | © 2025
Table of Contents
1.Introduction
2.Chapter 1: Childhood
3.In Imagination: The Chorus Girl
4.Chapter 2: The Railways
5.In Imagination: The Niece
6.Chapter 3: The Amateur
7.In Imagination: The Ghost of Putulbari
8.Chapter 4: The Queen
9.An Excerpt from Sultana Riziya by Brajendra Kumar Dey
10.Chapter 5: The Natta Years
11.In Imagination: The Other Rani
12.Chapter 6: The Post Natta Years
13.In Imagination: The Hero
14.Chapter 7: A Woman in a Man’s World (and Vice Versa)
15.In Imagination: The Heroine
16.Chapter 8: Love
17.In Imagination: The Admirer
18.Chapter 9: The Wilderness Years
19.In Imagination: The Cook
20.Chapter 10: Performing the Goddess
21.In Imagination: The Sitala Performer
22.Chapter 11: Rebirth and Resurrection
23.In Imagination: The Drag Queen
24.Chapter 12: Silver Screen
25.In Imagination: The Designer
26.Chapter 13: The Old-Age Home
27.In Imagination: This Old House
2.Chapter 1: Childhood
3.In Imagination: The Chorus Girl
4.Chapter 2: The Railways
5.In Imagination: The Niece
6.Chapter 3: The Amateur
7.In Imagination: The Ghost of Putulbari
8.Chapter 4: The Queen
9.An Excerpt from Sultana Riziya by Brajendra Kumar Dey
10.Chapter 5: The Natta Years
11.In Imagination: The Other Rani
12.Chapter 6: The Post Natta Years
13.In Imagination: The Hero
14.Chapter 7: A Woman in a Man’s World (and Vice Versa)
15.In Imagination: The Heroine
16.Chapter 8: Love
17.In Imagination: The Admirer
18.Chapter 9: The Wilderness Years
19.In Imagination: The Cook
20.Chapter 10: Performing the Goddess
21.In Imagination: The Sitala Performer
22.Chapter 11: Rebirth and Resurrection
23.In Imagination: The Drag Queen
24.Chapter 12: Silver Screen
25.In Imagination: The Designer
26.Chapter 13: The Old-Age Home
27.In Imagination: This Old House