It’s about time we embrace and celebrate gender fluidity and the people who embody it fully. Something that Kolkata based androgyneous model, Amit Bittoo Dey does beautifully.
Not only is Dey a fabulous model, but a bunch of other talents and gifts packed in to a human vessel. He is a photographer, an interior designer and now, a filmmaker too! Amit Bittoo Dey’s photo series To His Coy Mistress was applauded greatly for its depiction of the lives and struggles of the LGBTQ community in India.
I am working as an interior designer in Kolkata. I Started as a fashion photographer and am an aspiring filmmaker working on small projects and digital content creation. Because androgynous modelling is not very popular in our country, I earn my bread and butter in other ways.
In several interviews, the model cum photographer has mentioned that he grew up with two sisters and so, also grew up seeing the beauty of make-up and fashion pretty close up! Dey had spent a lot of his childhood dressed up like a girl, dancing to Bollywood songs. But, as he grew up, the world began treating him differently for his sexuality and wanting to dress like a woman. He says he has felt afraid of being attacked for wanting to live his life the way he likes.
Amit dropped out of college at 18, and began working desk jobs, but ultimately he had to admit to himself that he was passionate about photography, and couldn’t stand doing anything other than that. Even despite seeing people disrespect his identity, the androgynous model cum interior designer cum photographer decided to pursue his truth, and that is truly commendable.
He’s going after many different creative pursuits and expressing the truth of gender through them. Dey has even debuted with a directorial project, a short film named MahaMaya.
As a director it was my first official debut.
You can watch it right here.
We applaud him for being so brave and happy in his identity. It’s cool to be your true self.
