Cosplayers shine as 3-day Comic Con begins

Bengaluru: Among the crowd of cosplayers and comic enthusiasts at Bengaluru Comic Con was Guransh Singh Bhalla, a four-year-old who made his debut choosing Spiderman as his cosplay character. With his adorable gestures mimicking web-slinging, this little superhero-in-training delighted the crowd, embodying the spirit of Marvel in the cutest way.
The 11th edition of Bengaluru Comic Con, which started Friday at the KTPO Centre in Whitefield, isn’t just for the diehard fans but also for the little ones like Bhalla.The event witnessed global and national artists gathering along with cosplay enthusiasts and fans.
Enthusiasts of cosplay — a performance art of dressing up as a character from a film, book, or video game. — travelled from far and wide to be part of the action. Ana and Rara (pseudonyms), hailing from Uttarakhand, stole the show with their intricate cosplays as 02 from ‘Darling in the Franxx’ and Khaleesi from ‘Game of Thrones’. Mumbai’s Okay Naik, dressed as Zenitsu Agatsuma from ‘Demon Slayer’, called the Bengaluru Comic Con the best in the country. “This is my second visit to the Comic Con and I’m already loving it.”
Bengalureans weren’t far behind in showcasing their passion. Gayathri Lakshi, a Malleswaram-based MBBS graduate, found meaning in cosplaying as Violet Evergarden, emphasizing the character’s inspiring journey of understanding love and affection through art and animation. “Personally, Violet’s quest to understand love and affection is what makes the anime series so wholesome,” she explained.
Ayan, a copyeditor from RT Nagar, embodied Obito Uchiha from ‘Naruto Shippuden’, turning heads with his cosplay during his third visit to Comic Con. In true Obito style, he even humorously announced the “fifth great ninja war” — a nod to the series’ intriguing plotline. By his side was Shusheel Yadav, 24, dressed up as Itachi Uchiha from the same series. The duo enacted various scenes from the series for fans.
Amateur cosplayers Praveen, an IT professional, and Aravindh, a 3D designer, dressed up as characters from Star Wars. “We’re cosplay friends and together we used to play Star Wars video games. We’ve been regular visitors to Comic Con, so this year we decided to dress up as characters from the video games,” Praveen said.
Jatin Varma, founder, Comic Con India, said, “We want to continue the tradition of bringing together the vibrant pop culture community, and we aim to offer even more engaging content, thrilling experiences, and unforgettable moments. This year’s event promises to be a gathering of fans, creators, and artists, with numerous new additions and surprises in store for the attendees.”