Cosplay, a word that has only recently entered everyday vocabulary for a lot of us, describes something most of us have unknowingly grown up doing — dressing up for fancy dress competitions, school plays, and festival skits. Only now, the costumes are sharper, the characters more detailed, and the passion far deeper. What once meant paper crowns and cardboard swords has evolved into a creative culture where fans stitch, sculpt, paint and perform their favourite characters from across genres. As Comic Con (a fan convention where cosplay has become a rite of passage) makes its steady return to Chennai, a new generation of enthusiasts is discovering that cosplay is also about storytelling, self-expression, and finding a community that celebrates imagination in all its colourful forms.
Interacting with CE between final preparations for the Cosplay 101 Workshop, hosted by Comic Con India and Chennai at Hard Rock Cafe on Sunday, award-winning cosplayers decode the trends, tips and tiny details that turn fandom into craft — and understand how India’s cosplay culture is quietly, but steadily, levelling up.
For those who have watched cosplay grow over the years, the change is unmistakable. “When I started, there were barely 15 or 20 known cosplayers. Today, the numbers run into hundreds and thousands; the growth has been immense,” says Akshay Churi, who has been part of the community for over a decade. “In 2013-14, Comic Con had maybe 10 or 20 cosplayers. Now you’ll see 300 or 400 on a daily basis.”
In Chennai, the boom arrived a little later. Suriya Banu, a cosplayer recalls, “When I started in 2014, Chennai didn’t even have a Comic Con — the scene wasn’t very strong back then. After the explosion of anime fans during the lockdown in 2020, cosplay suddenly became a lot more accessible and popular.”
Concurring Suriya, artist Logesh Rajah remembers the moment clearly as that era marked his beginning. “Chennai got its first Comic Con only after COVID, that’s when many of us finally realised we could try cosplay in our own city.” With anime fandom booming and events multiplying, he believes the city is finally finding its footing. “In a few years, Chennai will definitely be on par with other big cities.”
Stepping stone
If there is one message all three cosplayers agree on, it is that beginners need not aim for perfection on day one. “Cosplay has to come from your heart. It’s only good when you do what you love because it’s all about expression and having fun,” says Akshay, who admits his first planned cosplay, Iron Man, never made it to the convention floor. “Since Iron Man didn’t finish on-time, I made a quick Batman costume in two weeks and took it to Bangalore.”
Suriya advises first-timers to resist the temptation of ambitious builds. “Always don’t try to go for a bigger one that will intimidate you. Start with something small and have fun,” she says, suggesting readily available anime costumes as a starting point. “Demon Slayer costumes are a great place to begin because they’re easily available online.”
“Even Harry Potter is easy — a white shirt, a red tie, a stick as a wand, and you’re a Gryffindor student,” Logesh laughs. He takes the idea further, breaking down how everyday clothing can become cosplay. “You can wear a black shirt, black pant and a yellow coat and become Zenitsu. Draw black lines on a green coat, and you’re Tanjiro.” His rule is simple: “Your first cosplay should be any character you like and anything you can afford.”
Craftsmanship
Behind every impressive costume lies a long learning curve — and plenty of trial and error. “Everybody who is a good cosplayer today has made mistakes,” says Akshay, whose first rule for beginners is to not compare yourself with anyone. While accuracy, comfort and creativity all matter, he urges newcomers not to lose sight of the basics. “For beginners, the most important thing is to finish your costume, everything else comes later.”
That learning often brings unexpected skills along the way. Suriya, who prefers modifying clothes she already owns, points out how cosplay quietly becomes a classroom. “A lot of people end up learning stitching, woodcraft, tailoring and embroidery just through cosplaying,” she says. Transformation, she adds, goes beyond fabric and foam. “Make-up is essential in cosplay — even for men — because we are never going to look like 2D characters in real life.” Without it, she warns, “if you wear a bright wig and no makeup, you’re going to look dull.” Her trusted trick is well known in cosplay circles: “Got2b Glue has become the mantra for a lot of cosplayers, it really helps set the wig.”
For Logesh, craftsmanship and performance go hand in hand. He believes that buying ready-made costumes often strips away the magic. “When you buy from a store, it looks like a costume. When a cosplayer makes it, it looks like the character,” he says. But even the best costume, he insists, needs life breathed into it. “People are missing out on the play part of cosplay,” he says. “Cosplay is not just dressing up and posing, it’s about playing the character on stage.”
Performance, in his view, is what sets a memorable cosplay apart. “Everyone focuses on crafting, but very few people actually perform as the character,” he adds. And when it comes to special effects, he prefers keeping things simple. “The easiest way to do scars or blood is acrylic paint, you can get it from any stationery shopThere’s nothing special about it. It’s all about the craftsmanship,” he says.
Where to buy
Etsy: Connect with global costume makers for customised outfits
Instagram stores: Startups like Cosplay Sensei and several India-based Instagram pages import and sell costumes and props
Chennai walk-ins: Shops in Parrys and Navalur sell ready-made imported costumes, wigs and weapons
Commission from cosplayers: Local cosplayers and designers create fitted, detailed costumes
Local tailoring: Beginners can take designs to nearby tailors or learn basic stitching themselves
Make-up & materials
Strong wig setting sprays and styling gels
Face paint and acrylic paints for scars, blood and markings
Affordable Indian make-up brands for beginners
Old shirts, coats and uniforms for mix-and-match DIY costumes