The line between fandom and fantasy blurred at Comic Con 2026 which was held this weekend at the Jio World Convention Centre in BKC, Mumbai.
Superheroes, gamers and sci-fi icons all had their moment but it was anime that truly took over.
The time, effort and patience that the cosplayers put together to the perfect look is something that has always fascinated me.
Presenting some of the scintillating cosplayers we spotted at this year's Con:
Name: Molong
Profession: Model
Dressed as: Nico Robin from One Piece
About the costume: I bought the outfit for Rs 4,000 and took two hours to get ready this morning!
Name: Crystal DSilva
Profession: Coplayer/SFX Makeup artist
Dressed as: Jibaro from Love, Death And Robots
About the costume: I took a month to create the outfit and spent Rs 15,000 on it.
Name: Anamika Roy
Profession: Language trainer
Dressed as: Evernight from Honkai: Star Rail
About the costume: It took 2-3 months to create my costume, which has cost Rs 11,000, to arrive and a week to create the wig and shoes. It took two to three hours to put on the outfit.
What cosplay means to you: Cosplaying is about expressing myself in ways that normal makeup does not. When you get into the character, it just boosts your confidence.
Name: Saurabh Singh Rawat
Profession: Professional cosplayer
Dressed as: The Great Saiyaman Man from Dragon Ball Z
About the costume: I created the outfit in a week with help from my mom and friends and spent Rs 4,000 on it.
Name: Samrudhi Dhumar
Profession: Illustrator
Dressed as: Alice Little from Alice: Madness Returns
About the costume: This is my first cosplay. It took me a month to create the costume. I spent Rs 10,000 on it.
What cosplay means to you: I love dressing up so I thought of giving it a try. I took it seriously and made everything myself.
Name: Trisha Devadiga
Profession: Curriculum developer
Dressed as: Elektra Nachiaos from Marvel Comics.
About the costume: It's a commissioned outfit. Everything is custom-made. It took a month to create and cost Rs 10,000.
Name: Ronav Verma
Currently: Student
Dressed as: Pennywise from It
Why this character: I really enjoyed the movie when I saw it and since a new season is releasing, I thought it would be appropriate to do it.
About the costume: It took around two months to create the outfit. I spent Rs 12,000 on it. The make-up took three hours.
Name: Aakash
Profession: Software engineer
Dressed as: WWE wrestler Bray Wyatt
About the costume: I spent Rs 10,000 to buy the outfit.
Name: Prakhar
Profession: Engineer
Dressed as: Dr Doom, Marvel Comics
About the costume: I made the outfit in one day and spent Rs 2,500 on it.
What cosplay means to you: Cosplaying is a way of showing my art without showing my face which, I think, is a very bold thing to do.
Name: Koina
Currently: Student
Dressed as: Columbina from Genshin Impact
About the costume: Created the props and costume in less than a week. It cost Rs 3,000 and the make-up took four hours.
Name: Janhvi
Currently: Student
Dressed as: Navia from Genshin Impact
About the costume: I love the character and wanted to make everything myself. It's my first cosplay and it took 15 days to make the outfit. I spent Rs 6,000 on it.
Name: Nishad Nadkarni
Profession: Concept Artist
Dressed as: Katsuki Bakugo from My Hero Academia
About the costume: Everything is handmade from scratch. It took around five months to make and cost Rs 16,000.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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