Shahmen Suku's drag alter ego Radha captivates audiences with stories and food

Instead of lip-syncing, Radha prefers to lure her beholders in with food.

Experiencing tastes and smells tends to bring up memories for her spectators, paving the way for hot takes and anecdotes.

"Everyone needs to eat no matter their background, age, or race ... It kind of puts everyone on the same playing field and then I go from there, I tell my family stories or talk about racial politics," Mr Suku said.

After moving to Australia, he perfected his cooking skills through YouTube videos, but it wasn't the same as learning the basics from his mother in Singapore.

Growing up, he would sneak into the kitchen and help her "stir the pot".

This is where he was privy to family secrets along with what ingredients must methodically be blended and pounded.

"I learnt my family stories while learning how to cook with my mum - where my grandfather's from, [anecdotes] about my grandmother, gossip in the family," Mr Suku said.

"Those stories were told to me in the kitchen and so that's how I tell my stories as well."

When Radha makes lime pickles on stage, it involves several steps.

Each step carries a tale from Mr Suku's experiences and family history. He sees narrating stories while pickling as oral archiving.

His preparations have included everything from curries and chutneys, depending on the type of event.

Even his Instagram offers followers a gracious crash course on various vegetables and how to use them to fix up South Asian meals.

One of his biggest achievements is featuring on three seasons of ABC's live music program, The Set, representing South Asian cuisine on national television.

"I was cooking Indian food and making cocktails ... I didn't think anyone would notice," Mr Suku said.

"But a lot of [migrant] families are watching free-to-air TV and for a lot of these first-generation kids it was like 'OMG there's a crazy Indian drag queen on this Australian show'.

"They felt seen."

If he were to use one word to describe his performances, it would be "messy".

Radha's playlist always includes Indian trap remixes and sometimes she literally plays with fire on stage.

One of Mr Suku's idols is film and dance icon Silk Smitha, he admired her for being a dark-skinned woman who shone on Indian screens.

The artist will soon leave for a five-month research sabbatical to uncover his family's oral histories back in Singapore.

"I'm looking at themes of failures, deaths, and ceremonies that surround [my family] ... how we talk about each other and, most importantly, oral histories," Mr Suku said.

"It's still kind of what Radha does but as Shahmen."