Cosplay Takes the Field in India’s Pop Culture Arena

Ever played dress up as a child? Or put together a last-minute Halloween costume? Well, then you definitely know the struggle is real. Inherently, cosplay is a portmanteau of the word’s “costume” and “play,” and like the name suggests it means just that. There was a time when cosplay was considered nerdy by most and perhaps still is but that just led to the formation of a found-family community that loves the art of cosplay and have come to be known as ‘Cosplayers’. The cosplayer scene in India is growing daily and with Gen Z in a constant dilemma whether they want to be with their favorite character or literally BE their favorite character, cosplay came knocking right on time! It has created a phantasmagoria, that feeds right into Gen Z’s delusion.

Ever since Comic Con launched in India, in 2011, the rage it created around cosplay was unparalleled. From sewed fabrics, to skewed perspectives. Moreover, the tornado of emotions that dare to overwhelm just before the day of the event are a force to be reckoned with. It is usually seen as a phase or a hobby that is acceptable as long it stays that way. People are either ignorant or totally unaware of the monetary profit that cosplay could provide, when done right. But wait, not everyone is, so buckle up as we introduce you to these Indian cosplayers. However, that are an inspiration to cosplay novices and veterans!

Shape-shifting? Nah, Medha calls it cosplay. Embodying newer avatars is cake-walk for her and if her career choices don’t impress you, then her artistic abilities sure will! She has a degree in animation and film design for Symbiosis Institute of Design and her conceptualization skills will give you all the creative inspo you need. She has a background in films, gaming and creative as well as performing arts. Furthermore, it was only a matter of time before she gave into cosplay calling her name. The very essence of her art is that she becomes one with the art emotionally and quite literally.

It was back when she was working as a game artist in Bangalore. Besides, that she heard about Comic Con and it was her boss who convinced her to participate. She was sceptical at first and thought that it was some fancy-dress competition. But her curiosity got the better of her and she gave it a shot. She managed to create a few costumes and after quite a few failed attempts finalised one.

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A post shared by Medha Srivastava (@medha.vi)

In June, she decided to participate in the Comic Con India Cosplay contest 2023 and to no one’s surprise took home the Cosplay Championship Trophy for her rendition of Alexstrasza, a character from the much loved ‘World of Warcraft’.  In the years preceding the event, she loved to attended Comic Con as an artist and was fascinated by the plethora of cosplayers, donning their outfits as they tribute their favourite characters. Megha soon realized that she was instantly enamoured by the glamour and grandeur that the event brought with it and found herself drawn back each year for more.

Along with having fun, she also used this as a learning process, carefully studying each cosplayer, analyzing their costume, make-up and other intricacies with an artist’s eye of appreciation for each detail and she believes that’s what helped her gain inspiration and the carefully build her look, creating something magical. In 2019, she participated in the ‘International Cosplay Contest’, held in Shanghai and became the first woman to win the championship and that was what really boosted her confidence to take this up professionally.

Many people don’t understand the effort that goes into cosplaying and so it was quite a strenuous task to get them to pay fairly at first but she soon began collaborating with brands like Amazon, Netflix and other OTT and even gaming companies. She has worked on artwork for the music producer A.R. Rahman.

She also did an interview with ‘Lounge’, where she spoke about her journey and how she maintains the balance between handling her art career, cosplay and also mentioned about learning from her peers. She often spent most of her days on her home terrace and used to immerse herself in art for hours together.

Soon her mom began to get frustrated with the paint cans and glue strewn everywhere and she had to look for an alternate accommodation. Thus, nowadays, you will find her and a couple of other cosplayer friends housed together in space they’ve rented out in Mumbai. It may be small but it is an absolute artistic haven. Moreover, it heads full of novel ideas or bunch of empty spray paint bottles, you will find it all.

The only thing that Megha loves more than work is her family. Besides, especially her late grandma who always stood by her as a pillar of support. Today, her artistic capabilities and skill have impressed tons of people online and her artistic excellence was acknowledged and applauded globally.

She hates following rules and to her luck, cosplaying has absolutely none. Tanya a.k.a. Syrinx is a veterinarian by profession but a cosplayer at heart! Costume disaster? or simply craving fashion-inspo? Don’t fret, her never-ending creative hacks have got you covered. Cosplay to her is synonyms to freedom. It gives her the liberty to express herself as she embodies newer characters and grows. In a world full of restrictions, it gives her the freedom that she thrives in. She believes that the lack of restraint that cosplay has to offer. Furthermore, really gets her creative juices flowing and she thrives in her new-found freedom.

The layman’s perspective is that cosplaying includes no creativity and it is simply a glorified version of copying and they believe that you identify a character and simply copy everything about their persona. Well, then they are either ignorant or simply refuse to see the intricacy. Furthermore, creativity and art that oozes out of every costume and Tanya is here to prove just that. She believes that cosplay comes to life when you add your own personal touch and create a rendition like never before. She isn’t afraid of experimenting and the newer looks she keeps trying are an example of just that. Having cosplayed for so long she has made like-minded friends, who constantly appreciate and support her art.

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A post shared by 🐉Dr.T / Syrinx Cosplay🦄 (@syrinx.88)

Her talent in sewing has enabled her to build her costumes from scratch and also given the independence to not depend on anyone else and execute her idea, how she wishes to. The essence of cosplay has broken all gender normativity as artists now have the freedom to embody any character that appeals to them and that is not gender specific. This is also one of the reasons why, after the first time she cosplayed, she couldn’t stop! She soon used her talent at making wigs and today stands as a life saver to many cosplayers. However, as she rents out her affordable, unique and diverse range of wigs to cosplayers looking to add some extra sass to their costume!

If you ever attend a cosplay event and need some awesome pictures taken, Sameer is the guy to call. Being a photographer by profession has helped him observe and create amazing looks, that will leave you gaping. He has been the reigning champion at the Indian Cosplay Championship in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021. At a Cosplay event, you will either find him behind the camera or on the winner’s podium! He has a keen eye for detail and every look that he creates is a reflection of just that. He is a perfectionist by nature and there have been times in the past where he has said ‘It’s terrible. I will never finish’ and then gone on to win a trip to Chicago. Today, Sameer has won multiple competitions and truly made a mark for himself.

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A post shared by SAMEER BUNDELA (@sameertikkamasala)

It’s funny how her user name aptly describes us more than her as she has truly coloured all of us curious. She knows the ins and outs of cosplay and has been in the industry for what feels like forever. Aorin credits her love for colour, fantasy and interest in characters to her background in gaming. She loves to understand the art and creativity that goes behind each costume and today she has managed to create some magic of her own. She is one the few people that has made their obsession and profession the same and she’s enjoying every moment of it.

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A post shared by Shariyari Aorin (@colour_me_aorin)

Surya’s costumes are so hyper realistic that it literally feels like the character has come to life. He is an expert at cosplaying, costume making and often gives a little sneak peek of the effort and work that goes into the making of each costume in his BTS videos on Instagram. His fans are always in for a treat when he posts. Furthermore, as they get a better glimpse of him sans all the heavy costume and makeup. He also posts many beginners friendly tutorials that are super helpful for beginners as well as anyone. Who’s curious about what cosplaying has to offer.

The unlimited options and characters that you could choose from are never-ending and so is his creativity. While costume making, his creativity knows no boundaries he makes the best use of things you wouldn’t even imagine using. A little foam, glue, fabric and of course Surya’s touch and there you have it, a larger-than-life costume. Moreover, that is sure to leave you in awe! (In typical Surya fashion).

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A post shared by The Scythe / Surya Sreenivasan (@scythesskunkworks)

Be it the tears in their eyes or every intricately crafted tear in their fabrics. Moreover, the skill and attention-to-detail that cosplaying requires, is truly underestimated in India. These cosplayers have broken all the stereotypical notions. Besides, that people have about cosplay and they have proven that it is an art that when taken seriously. Furthermore, he is sure you give you all the artistic liberty that you need to express yourself.

Through their costumes and hard work thus far. However, they have inspired tons of people to express themselves and have also set newer benchmarks. That they themselves strive to break as they grow and improve with each costume. If you are already into cosplay then you will surely appreciate the hard work, determination, thought and creativity, that goes behind each costume. And if you’re not into cosplay, then these very qualities are sure to convince you otherwise.