On a weekend where everyone goes out for movies and malls, Chennai’s cosplay enthusiasts gathered together to learn more about the art. The ‘Cosplay 101 Workshop’ became a space where beginners could take the first step towards cosplay with the help of professionals.
The workshop was led by cosplayers Akshay Churi, winner of the Indian Championship of Cosplay, Logesh Rajah and Suriya Banu, who shared their experiences and techniques with participants. The workshop entailed presentations by each of them explaining to the audience how to bring a costume idea to life.
Akshay Churi (33), an HOD professional in the CGI department at a production house based in Mumbai, does cosplaying by passion. “I started with making helmets, particularly an Iron Man helmet, when The Avengers were at their peak.
I built the helmet in 2015 initially as a personal display piece. But when I learned more about Comic Con, I decided to go all out and build the entire Iron Man suit,” says Akshay about how his love for cosplay began.
Chennai-based cosplayer Logesh has been into cosplaying for the last couple of years. A banker by profession, he states that cosplaying is not new to the city. “Chennaiites have actually been into cosplay in the form of their matinee idols when their films release, especially Rajinikanth and Vijay fans, recreating the iconic looks and dialogue practices that closely mirror what is now recognised as cosplay, but done globally.”
He expects more acceptance for the craft than mere dismissal of it as childish or fixation with the physical appearance of the characters. “I hope Chennai evolves to a point where people appreciate the craft and character portrayal rather than judging appearances,” he adds.
Long-time anime enthusiast and gamer, Suriya Banu aka Hikari (light in Japanese) from Chennai has been cosplaying since 2014. “Back in 2014, Chennai hardly knew about the concept of Comic Con; anime enthusiasts and cosplayers had to travel to Bengaluru,” she says.
The cosplaying scene in the city has grown from a close-knit community to more mainstream, with more people discovering anime and other content through the internet, online spaces and access to materials. Sustaining oneself with cosplaying has also improved. “With more competitions, brand collaborations, and international exposure, cosplay in India is definitely growing and becoming more sustainable,” adds Churi.
While more and more people are taking up cosplaying, there remains a lot of prejudice around it. Addressing that, Banu says, “The thumb of cosplay is not to hesitate. Even if your first cosplay isn’t perfect, or even if it’s broken or simple, if you made it yourself and wore it proudly, that matters.”