The usually corporate and exhibition-heavy Chennai Trade Centre wore a different mood over the weekend. Instead of business suits and trade badges, it was claimed by a wave of young energy as a vibrant tide of fans, dressed in graphic t-shirts that burst with anime panels, superhero emblems, and colourful pop-culture prints, transformed the familiar venue altogether.
On the opening day on Saturday, some hurried in excited groups, while the others took their time. Car mirrors became dressing tables and phone screens doubled up as compact mirrors. One cosplayer practised her Joker grin in the rear view mirror, perfecting the tilt of her head. Another carefully removed his vintage World War prop gun from the rear end of the auto. Nearby, a young woman assembled her costume and secured her wig as curious security guards watched from a distance.
Inside the hall, those curious glances dissolved into cheers and admiration. The same outfits that drew puzzled looks outside were met with camera flashes, and spontaneous high-fives or fist bumps. Strangers asked for photos and poses were struck with theatrical flair. And interestingly, the roles reversed. Those in everyday jeans and shirts found themselves the anomaly. “In here, those in regular clothes aren’t normies. We cosplayers are,” laughed Megha from Thiruvananthapuram, who cosplayed as Squirrel girl, summing up the unspoken rule of conventions such as Comic Con Chennai 2026.
For many, this wasn’t their first Comic Con in the city. They had been regulars ever since Comic Con India made its debut in Chennai in 2024. For Vignesh, who has been returning every year like clockwork, the preparation for the next Comic Con begins right after the current one ends. He confessed to having started brainstorming for his cosplay this year — a World War II Paratrooper — soon after Comic Con 2025 ended. “I took ten months to slowly work on my costume. I hand-stitched the badge, made my hat from foam, and even made this 3D model gun by myself,” he said. When asked about the crowd, he added, “Every year it gets bigger and bigger with more cosplayers.”
Abhinaya, who was in attendance this year, is proof of how contagious the spirit can be. When she visited the convention in 2024, she came simply as a spectator. But watching the confidence and creativity of the cosplayers around her sparked something. This year, she refused to be a “normie” and transformed as Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen.
Beyond the cosplay spectacle, the day pulsed with an equal love for gaming, as long, eager queues flooded the gaming zone where fans patiently waited their turn. The panel, ‘Creators Across Borders: Ron Marz & India’, drew crowds around the stage too, as Ron Marz, comic book writer known for his work on titles such as Batman/Aliens, DC vs. Marvel, Green Lantern, Silver Surfer, and Witchblade, reflected on storytelling as a universal language. Brand showcases armoured by pop-culture, comic, and anime quizzes kept the audience on their feet and comedy sets by Vivek Muralidharan and Azeem Banatwalla added laughter to the mix.
The day ultimately built toward the high-stakes cosplay contest, with a Rs 30,000 cash prize awaiting the winner. Yet, somewhere between the spectacle and the stage lights, the prize money seemed almost incidental. In one corner, a Sikh man stood twirling the curled ends of his moustache in playful rivalry with a cosplayer dressed as Shikari Shambu. They leaned into each other, laughing and posing as a small crowd cheered them on. It was in moments like these that the real reward of the day revealed itself: not the cheque, but the community.