Sushant Divgikar Makes History As First Transgender Artiste To Headline Gujarat’s Iconic Navratri Festival

While the country enjoyed the Navratri season with its cultural representation, history was being made in Surat—the city of diamonds—despite being taken by storm. Writing a remarkable page in the history of trans people in India, Sushant Divgikar, aka Rani Ko-HE-Nur, brought another victory for inclusion by becoming the first-ever trans artiste to headline one of the biggest Navratri celebrations in Surat, Gujarat.

With her four-octave vocal range, Rani became the first trans artist to headline a Navratri event mesmerising over 3 lakh people in 10 days. Headlining the Suvarn Navratri festival with renowned singers like Swasti Mehul, Dhwani Parikh, Hariom Gadhvi, and Osman Bir, Rani entertained the crowd with her dual voice, rewriting Indian history and paving a prominent path for the trans community. Entertaining all the garba enthusiasts, Rani sang and danced to popular songs like Har Har Shamboo, Vittal Vittal, and a few Gujarati numbers.

With the trans community of India struggling to find an equal space in society, Sushant Divgikar aka Rani Ko-HE-Nur has been opening up new horizons for them to shine, and showcase their talent. Marking a trailblazing journey in the entertainment industry as an artiste (actor and singer), Rani has been delivering independent tracks and singing for web shows and movies, as well as headlining events for brands and the government of India. With songs like ‘Pari Hoon Main’, ‘Pehchaan’, ‘Saiyyan Illegal’, ‘Farebi Zindagi’, and more to her credit, Rani’s debut at Navratri has opened up a new path for trans artists.

For the unversed, it was in 2019 that Rani emerged as a rising star in the music industry with her powerful Pride Anthem "Love is Love". Her subsequent release, "Diamond", showcased her artistic range in 2020. In 2023, she broke barriers by becoming the first trans person to contribute to a Bollywood film soundtrack with her heartfelt rendition of "Pari Hoon Main". 2024 marked a milestone year for Sushant, as she sang the esteemed National Purple Anthem "Dhumal" written by Javed Akhtar, sang multiple songs for various web series, and collaborated with Music composer, producer, and songwriter Mikey McCleary for Maati season 1 first track “Bawla”.