Asif Ali Beg is a veteran of the Mumbai stage, especially known for his parts in the sporadic musicals that dot the theatre landscape in the city. He can not only hold a showtune with Chatteris characteristic ease, but he can do it in full drag regalia. Bouffants, feather boas, shimmer, the works. And that really held the Gaysi Family in good stead because Mr. Beg was at hand to open Dirty Talk 8.0 (Pride Edition) by first performing a piece written by Vikram Phukan and then launching into a rendition of ‘I am what I am’ that truly brought the house down. His brilliance, enigmatic presence, performative spontaneity set the stage on fire. The ease with which he could convey so much to the audience through his dramatic rendition is worthy a huge applaud. He did definitely win the hearts of many present there. A delightful way to set the tone for the evening.

Here is a preview to that evening’s performance.