Interview with Asifa Lahore

An interview with Asifa Lahore

So Asifa tell me a little about yourself where are you from and what do you do?
I am an Asian drag queen from Lahore. I came to the UK as a baby with my parents and settled in Southall, West London. As I grew up I discovered my love for singing, dancing and the batty boys of Britain. Luckily they loved me too and during my escapades I started working in cabaret venues and clubs in London. Earlier this year I won the bronze medal in Drag Idol 2012 which I was very proud of!a

What is it like to be the possibly the only Asian drag artist in the UK that is also well known for the music videos and shows you do?
On one hand it is amazing as I cannot be compared to anyone else. I use my ethnicity to my advantage as being Asian, Muslim and gay is very current in British society today so I rinse it out as much as I can. On the other hand, it is quite a big responsibility being the only Asian drag queen. I want to represent my community to the best of my ability. Sometimes I can ruffle a few feathers with the issues I highlight during my shows which is always a good thing in my opinion. The support from my community has been phenomenal and it spurs me on to do bigger and better things. 

We have all seen your feisty side behind your drag queen persona and love it! But what are you really like? 
I’m actually a very down to earth person who likes simple things like cooking, swimming, watching films and chilling out. I like to keep some normality in my life and keep the stage antics where they belong.

Now for the makeup tips! How the hell do you get yourself to look so flawless and stunning and keep it like that all night? 
Wow, thank you! That is very sweet of you. I have a confession to make. I have a superb stylist who takes care of my hair, make up and outfits. His name is SG Coelho and he is one to watch in the styling world. Every drag queen can look flawless but it is how you hold yourself that matters so the best advice I can give is be true to yourself as a person, smile and let your radiance shine!

Your videos are hilarious and also have a great hidden meaning to them of acceptance who writes your music and directs your videos?
I write my own lyrics to popular songs that I like to dance too. My songs and videos get a great response and I am flattered that people relate to the songs. I write about everyday issues that affect me as a person. The song Punjabi Girl talks about being a ‘gaysian’ in Britain today. As well as making fun of being Asian on the gay scene, it also highlights the point that some gaysians will get married to the opposite sex in later life which is their choice. Get Batty is an emancipation song which urges unity and for people to be proud of being LGBT. My songs are tongue in cheek but I’d like to think they do a little to push people’s boundaries. The video for Punjabi Girl was directed by the fabulous team at DreamCoat Productions. My previous videos have all been self-directed by me! 

Now for the juicy gossip have you got any knights in shining armour or prince stunning in your life?
Now that would be telling! Haha! I have many admirers from Aladdin to Zayn Malik, from Amir Khan to Shah Rukh Khan, the list is long. I had a marriage proposal from a huge Bollywood star earlier this year. The surprise is that is was a FEMALE star that wanted to marry me! No I am NOT going to tell you who she is because she would kill me. I turned her down as the truth is I’ve been married for the last 3 years to the love of my life. He is gaysian too.

Follow Asifa on @AsifaLahore