Chapal Rani, the Last Queen of Bengal

Please join the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality for a book talk with author Sandip Roy on Chapal Rani, the Last Queen of Bengal: The Life and Times of a Female Impersonator

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.

Sandip Roy is a writer, columnist and podcaster currently living in Kolkata. He is a columnist for Mint Lounge, the Hindu and the host of the Sandip Roy Show on Indian Express. His weekly audio dispatches from Kolkata have been airing on public radio KALW in San Francisco since 2012. His work has appeared in publications like the New York Times, BBC, the San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, the Times of India, Firstpost, Huffington Post, Conde Nast Traveller and other publications. He has been part of anthologies like Out! Stories from the New Queer India, The Phobic and the Erotic, Q&A: Queer in Asian America, Men on Men 6, Because I Have a Voice, Story-wallah!, House Spirit: Drinking in India and Cat People. For more than a decade, Roy was editor of Trikone, the world’s oldest magazine on LGBTQ+ South Asian issues. His first novel is Don’t Let Him Know. His latest book is Chapal Rani, the Last Queen of Bengal - The Life and Times of a Female Impersonator.

NYU campus access guidelines: Registration is required. Non-NYU guests may be asked to present a government-issued photo ID. NYU guests must present their NYU ID.

Accessibility note: This venue has an elevator and is accessible for wheelchair users. There are single-stall, all gender restrooms available. If you have any access needs, please email csgs@nyu.edu