Mumbai’s transwoman 'local train dancer' Pooja Sharma meets 'Hustle 5' star Agsy: Two women claiming their space, the Indian way

• Pooja Sharma, known as Rekha, is Mumbai’s local-train performer.
• Pooja’s journey as a transgender performer adds another layer to her story.
• Agsy rose through India’s hip-hop scene and MTV Hustle.
• The two performers danced and exchanged moves on the Hustle Express Metro.
• Their meeting celebrates individuality, courage and unconventional stages.

What if your stage wasn't a concert hall, theater or television studio, but a crowded train rushing through one of the world's busiest cities?

For Pooja Sharma, that is exactly where the performance begins.

Popularly known as Rekha, Pooja has become known for dancing aboard Mumbai's local trains, transforming everyday commutes into unexpected moments of music, movement and connection. A transgender performer, she has carved out her own identity through dance and perseverance, earning recognition for bringing her personality and performances into a space where millions of people simply pass through each day.

Now, her unusual stage has brought her together with Agsy, a rapper and singer-songwriter who found her own audience through India's hip-hop scene and the reality competition MTV Hustle.

Their meeting aboard the Hustle Express Metro could hardly have been more fitting. One woman has made Mumbai's moving trains her stage; the other has built a career around hip-hop and has now returned to Hustle as a mentor.

As mentioned in Hindustan Times, the encounter was designed as a celebration of artists who have created their identities on their own terms rather than waiting for conventional opportunities.

POOJA SHARMA TURNED A COMMUTER TRAIN INTO HER STAGE

Mumbai's local trains are synonymous with packed carriages, hurried commuters and the relentless rhythm of city life. For Pooja, however, they became something else: a place where she could perform.

Known as Rekha, she has become recognizable for dancing aboard the trains and entertaining commuters during their everyday journeys. Her story stands out not simply because of the unusual setting, but because she has found a way to create visibility and connection in a space never designed as a traditional performance venue.

That makes her meeting with Agsy particularly special.

Pooja wasn't simply introduced to another performer. She met someone who understood the feeling of building a creative identity without being handed an obvious platform.

And the encounter quickly became a performance of its own.

“During their interaction, Pooja taught Agsy some of her signature dance moves, with the two breaking into impromptu steps,” a source told Hindustan Times.

The two danced, laughed and exchanged stories — turning the metro into a temporary stage just as naturally as Pooja has done with Mumbai's local trains.

WHO IS AGSY — AND WHAT IS HUSTLE 5?

Agsy comes from a very different corner of India's performance world.

She first appeared on MTV Hustle as a contestant in its debut season and has since grown into a recognized name in Indian hip-hop. Seven years after her appearance on Season 1, she has returned for Hustle 5 – Apna Homeground, this time as a Squad Boss, helping mentor emerging rappers.

For readers discovering the show for the first time, MTV Hustle is an Indian rap and hip-hop reality competition built around aspiring rappers battling for recognition. The fifth season has brought back former contestants including Agsy, MC Square and Paradox as Squad Bosses, with rapper Badshah serving as the Rap Supremo. The new season premiered August 8 and airs on MTV and JioHotstar.

That makes Agsy's meeting with Pooja more than a promotional crossover. It connects two performers who have both experienced the process of finding their own voice.

Agsy has described the encounter in deeply personal terms.

“There’s something really powerful about meeting another woman who has created her own space without waiting for someone to give it to her."

“THE HUSTLE IS VERY SIMILAR” — DESPITE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT JOURNEYS

The biggest joy of the meeting is that Agsy did not pretend their stories were identical. Instead, she recognized the difference — and found something meaningful within it.

“Pooja has made the local train her stage, and I’ve found mine through hip-hop. Our journeys are completely different, but the hustle is very similar: showing up, being yourself and making people stop and listen. I loved sharing this moment with her. We danced, laughed, and exchanged stories, and it reminded me of the beauty of music and performance: you can connect with someone even when your worlds are completely different. Meeting her on the Hustle Express felt extra special because the metro has been such an important part of my own journey.”

That may be the most beautiful part of their encounter.

Pooja's stage moves through Mumbai every day. Agsy's stage has taken her into India's growing hip-hop culture. Their audiences, backgrounds and artistic languages may differ, but both women understand the courage it takes to stand out.

And perhaps that is why their meeting feels so joyful.

It isn't really about a famous rapper meeting a local-train dancer.

It is about two women who found a stage where nobody expected one to exist — and then happily discovered they could share it.