Cosplaying, the practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction, such as a comic book, video game, or television show, has indeed come of age in India. One need only look at the past few iterations of Comic Con, one of the biggest pop-culture spectacles in the country, to gauge how popular the activity has become. Today, most metropolitan cities in India boast a devoted fan base for cosplays, with well-curated events at regular intervals.
Though the scene is not as well-flourished in Kerala, there is a fledgling scene for cosplay enthusiasts. The many awards that Malayalis won over the years in Comic Con is a testament to this fact. Interestingly, seven awards were won by three people Nadir Najumal Hussain, San Ramsankar, and Anjali Das.
In 2013, when Nadir Hussain decided to cosplay, most of the characters he emulated were unrecognisable to the public. “It was an Iron Man costume. I even adorned the suit with an arc reactor model. It piqued the interest of my friends. One of them urged me to participate in Bengaluru Comic Con. I did, and won the grand prize,” says Nadir, who is likely the first cosplay artist from Kerala and the winner of four grand prizes at Comic Con.
“From there on, I created complex armour costumes, emulating characters like War Machine, Bumble Bee and Hunter. The more complex the suit, the greater the fun element. Cosplay has boosted my confidence, and I would say, it did play a role in shaping my personality,” adds the 33-year-old who runs an architecture firm.
“When I started, there was not much hype for these characters as there is now,” exclaims Nadir. Indeed, comics for a long time have been relegated as ‘for children only’. This labelling was only revoked during the pandemic, when many, including adults, confined to their homes, found refuge in the fantastical worlds of comics, anime and games.
Kochi-native Ramsankar, popularly known as San Ramsankar, didn’t have to wait for the pandemic though. “I have been a comic enthusiast since childhood. I grew up with Marvel and DC comics and anime. Transforming into a character from either of those worlds has been a long-cherished fantasy,” he says. Ramsankar, who took to cosplaying in 2015, has won the grand prize at Comic Con two years in a row (for playing Optimus Prime of the Transformers in 2016 and the Alphamon character from Digimon in 2017).
“Whenever I cosplay, I try to mimic the mannerisms of the characters that I’m performing. It takes the fun to a different level,” says Ramsankar, who works as a UI/UX design professional. The 30-year-old was also the runner-up in the 2016 Indian Cosplay Championship.
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It is common practice for cosplay artists to craft their costumes. This is what initially lured 32-year-old Melvin Evans to the activity. “I’m a detail-oriented person. To make a costume, I researched for about a month, working with different materials including foam, cardboard, metal, and wood. Being able to show the hard work in the form of a costume is a satisfying feeling,” says Melvin, who works as a senior quality analyst in content creation.
Aakash Ambekesh seconds this. “My initial attempt was with cardboard. Over the years, the materials have evolved,” says Aakash, a student, who usually cosplays characters that he can relate with. According to Nadir, a costume usually takes about three to four months to finish. “If you want to build a real-looking costume, cosplaying is an expensive hobby. Most who take to the hobby drop out because of this factor,” he says.
Cosplaying in Kerala
The cosplayers all agree in unison that the lack of events and shows in Kerala is a big letdown. The Kochi Comics Brotherhood — a community for comic enthusiasts started by a few youngsters — used to conduct cosplay events ahead of the release of superhero movies.
“They were sort of like fan events. In 2017, we celebrated Batman Day with the support of DC Comics and I think we were the first group in India to hold an event for the day. The last major event we created was for Avengers: Endgame. We have not had many events after the pandemic. We plan to restart,” says Ramsankar.
Aswathy Ajesh, an anime cosplayer, says, “There is no dearth of talent in Kerala. Though the enthusiasm has acceptance, the majority are still shy and hesitant to walk around in costumes. If chains like PVR could hire cosplayers during the release of a superhero movie, it would be a great help.”
A viable profession?
Cosplaying is slowly entering the professional realm in India. “If you are into prop making, then there’ll be plenty of commissioned works. Not every cosplayer knows how to create costumes, so an experienced prop maker can make a good living out of it. Some even charge up to Rs 1 lakh for an event. Also, depending on the events and organisers, a cosplayer can get paid up to Rs 50,000 for a single show. These days, cosplayers are also getting adequate recognition as influencers on social media,” says Ramsankar.
Sahil S, the founder of Shinigami Studios, an anime-based community in Thiruvananthapuram, believes that in eight years’ time, Kerala will have a strong set of cosplay communities. “Take Shinigami Studios as an example, we started with 40 anime enthusiasts and now we have over 700 members in a span of six months,” he says. Sahil believes that opportunities are plenty for cosplay in the state, however, it is not without its hurdles. “At its core, cosplay is a foreign culture. So becoming a viable profession here is likely difficult. But with ample support from all quarters, cosplay culture can give a fillip to the state’s tourism prospects as well,” he says. Shinigami Studios will be providing an opportunity for cosplayers on December 17 in Thiruvananthapuram.
The many awards that Malayalis have won for cosplay in Comic Con over the years indicate a fledgling interest in the activity in Kerala. However, cosplayers bemoan the lack of an ecosystem to sustain it.