This Saturday night, clear your schedules because there’s about to be an event the likes of which you have never been seen before. Well unless you count their last edition. That’s right The Gaysi Family are back with ‘Dirty Talk 9.0’, a night full of fun, drama, music and laughter.
The Dirty Talk platform is known to be one of freedom and truth held by and for Mumbai’s LGBT community. The first edition was held back in 2012 right in the midst of Mumbai Pride Week, there was plenty to be said then and that tradition hasn’t changed, it is still one of the best places for discussions about everything under the sun, where no one shies away from the taboo and everything is laced with a heavy dose of satire.
The Gaysi Community itself has been functioning since 2008. They started out as a blog but soon grew to be one of the leading provokers of LGBT conversation in the country. Their hope for Dirty Talk is that they give people a place to come and be themselves free of fear or judgment and most importantly that everyone has a damn good time. In their own words ‘We believe that Dirty Talk provides a platform for the freedom of expression on socially relevant topics. In this specific event we are looking to talk about sex, kink, consent, drug abuse, queer identity, fantasies and more. We strongly believe that there is no topic which is too tabooed and cannot be discussed. We realized that there were cetain topics which were not being discussed about either openly, or even at all. We found people who either had content along these lines ready, or were excited to create content for the Dirty Talk stage.’
Each edition of Dirty Talk has been associated with a particular cause and this time they have chosen to tie up with the NGO The Happy Welfare Society in their campaign ‘Say No To Drugs’. This NGO was set up in 2009 by Kanupriya Singh and has been dedicated to helping the youth of the city ever since, they hope now to target the growing drug problem and provide support for anyone who needs it.
The night is destined to be explosive with performances by Aadar Malik, Mansi Multani and Puja Sarup as well as the musical stylings of LGBT voices Zoya and the debut performance by The Yellow Diary, plus a performance by the powerhouse rapper Sofia Ashraf. In addition to this they have brought back the incomparable hosting talents of Rohini Ramanthan so you know it’s going to be a night to remember.
So if you want unfiltered conversation, endless laughter and a whole lot of great company you better book your tickets and head down to Cafe La Rouche this Saturday night to catch their phenomenal come back and share in one of the most awaited cultural events of the season.
Homegrown caught up with a few of the soon-to-be Dirty Talkers to find out their thoughts on the upcoming celebrations
I. Mansi Multani
Mansi is a well-known actress as well as an accomplished singer-songwriter. Her history with Gaysi goes back to their inception but this will be the first time she’s taking the stage for Dirty Talk. She will be performing an original song based on the topic of consent. She believes that obtaining consent is a basic question that should exist in all situations and has become an even more vital topic to address with the increase in the country’s rape culture.
What does Dirty Talk mean to you?
‘Gaysi gives people the chance to ask and find answers to their questions, about the LGBT community and about themselves. They bring content that is usually taboo into the public eye and open it up to much needed discussion. They are a hardworking group who know their sensibilities and are upfront about their goals and it will be a pleasure to work with them on their biggest ever edition of Dirty Talk.
Describe the Dirty Talk experience in three words
Free, Spirited, Fun.
II. Navin Norohna
A stand-up comedian and writer, Navin style is an open and uncompromising take on the world around him.
What does Dirty Talk mean to you?
‘It’s a place where I can express myself to like-minded people without fear. They give a gateway to the community where all people can go to be themselves. They’re unapologetically themselves and encourage that in everyone that they meet.
Describe the Dirty Talk experience in three words
Unapologetic, No holds barred, LGBT Haven
III. Sofia Ashraf
Sofia is a Chennai-born singer and rapper whose hard hitting compositions highlight the world’s injustices as she sees them. She was in the news most recently for her song ‘Kodaikanal Won’t’ which called out the Unilever Corporation for their negligent waste disposal.
What does Dirty Talk mean to you?
‘I am a huge fan of Gaysi, the work they are doing is very exciting. As someone who has openly renounced my religion I can sort of relate to the feeling of coming out to people who don’t share my beliefs. As I believe so strongly in their cause I’ll be performing a set of extremely personal, previously unreleased songs and I think this is the perfect platform for me to share them.’
Describe the Dirty Talk experience in three words
It’s the need of the hour.
IV. Vaibhav Pani - The Yellow Diary
The Yellow Diary is a Mumbai based band which aims at making music which strikes the balance between being experimental and entertaining. They have released a number of songs online but this will be their debut live performance.
What does Dirty Talk mean to you?
‘We have always supported LGBT rights and we have always tried to make our music socially relevant. For example our single Bawri Chhori tackles the difficult topic of a young girl coming out to her parents. We are honoured to be performing here as Gaysi shares our beliefs that ‘love is love’. The whole event has a beautiful theme and we are thrilled to be debuting here.’
Describe the Dirty Talk experience in three words
Love, Equality, Freedom
Featured Image Courtesy Gaysi.com