In a tragic incident, Queen Harish Kumar – the famous Rajasthani folk dancer – passed away on Sunday.
The deserts of Jaisalmer have seen Harish Kumar’s eclectic dancing moves since 1997. Bold as a man and mischievous as a woman, Harish pushed society’s norms of gender boundaries with bright clothes and sharper mascara.
The Queen had no fear of obstacles and the Jaisalmer native’s dance moves including folk dancer forms like Ghoomar, Kalbelia, Chang, Bhawai and Chari.
Harish also made appearances in The Accidental Prime Minister which starred Anupam Kher as Manmohan Singh and in Prakash Jha’s Jai Gangajaal, the sequel to his cult classic Gangajaal.
He also featured in reality television show 'India's Got Talent' and many Bollywood films.
His death was mourned by various luminaries including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former CM Vasundhara Raje.
Condoling the death of the folk artists, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot tweeted, "The painful death of four persons including the celebrated artist Harish Kumar alias Queen Harish in a gruesome road accident in Jodhpur is extremely tragic. Dedicated to the folk art and culture of Rajasthan, Harish gave a new identity to Jaisalmer with his different dance style. His demise is a big loss in the folk art field."
Vasundhara Raje also condoled his death saying that he gave a unique place to Rajasthani folk culture on the world stage.
