Comic Con and horror film fest: Mega pop events make Kol debut

KOLKATA: The city is witnessing a new surge in inaugural editions of events that were previously held across the country but had consistently bypassed this metropolis. Despite substantial interest, the city has never experienced a film festival exclusively dedicated to horror cinema from across the globe and a pop culture extravaganza immersing enthusiasts in a realm of comics, manga and anime. Over the weekend, the city experienced Comic Con India which stands as the grandest pop culture celebration in the sub-continent. The Wench Film Festival, India's pioneering horror film festival, is scheduled to unfold in Kolkata from Feb 27.

Souvikk Dasgupta, an ardent horror film enthusiast, has been waiting for five years for this horror film festival to make its Kolkata debut. "Our city has a devoted audience keenly interested in this genre that has experienced a remarkable surge in popularity worldwide. Indian films like ‘Kantara', ‘Tumbadd', and ‘Stree (1&2)' and international films like ‘IT', ‘The Conjuring Universe', and ‘Talk to Me' have achieved tremendous success. I am optimistic that this festival will serve as a splendid initiative to sensitise both industry and audience," Dasgupta said.

The current edition of the Wench Film Festival will bring the female perspective to the centre stage by screening 35 out of 42 films helmed by women filmmakers. The festival will commence with the Shruti Haasan starrer British psychological thriller ‘The Eye' and culminate with Ishan Shukla's International Film Festival Rotterdam winner feature ‘Schirkoa - In Lies We Trust'. Kolkata will simultaneously host the prestigious event alongside Mumbai from Feb 27 to Mar 2. Sapna Bhavnani, filmmaker and founder of this festival, said, "Kolkata is a city steeped in folklore, literature, and an undying love for cinema—making it the perfect haunt for Wench Film Festival. With its rich history of ghosts, legends, and the macabre woven into its very streets, Kolkata feels like a natural home for our celebration of horror, fantasy, and the strange."

Advertising professional and writer Sugata Guha, who attended Comic Con India on Saturday, remembered that Bengal has one of the richest traditions of creating comics and graphic novels in India. “Generations of Bengalis have grown up reading them. Hence, there has always been a captive readership for this genre. With the current generation heavily into manga and games, with the traditional mix of Tintin, Asterix and the superheroes, a Comic Con in Kolkata was long overdue,” Guha said.

Graphic novelist and illustrator Harsho Mohan Chattoraj remembered that Comic Con started in India 13 years back. “That was in Delhi. Over the years, we had all hoped to get a Kolkata edition. I am glad it finally happened in my city. The advent of cosplay in Kolkata has changed the mindset and interest in comics. It is heartening to see such a good response to comic creators at the event. In the next editions, I hope to see greater footfall at the Indian artists’ alley,” he said. Guha’s experience at the event was “wonderful”. “It was so thrilling to see a long queue outside the booth for Archie writer and artist Bill Golliher signing autographs. There was a long queue of autograph seekers outside the booth for Archie writer and artist Bill Golliher. The event was an occasion for meeting friends, buying books and merchandise, getting yourself sketches and soaking in the colour and energy that only a Comic Con can give you,” Guha said.

Akshat Sahu, senior director of marketing - APAC, Crunchyroll, said, "Kolkata has always been a city that passionately celebrates art, storytelling, and pop culture, and this year's Comic Con was a testament to that spirit. Seeing anime fandom thrive in Kolkata reaffirms that anime is more than just entertainment—it's a cultural movement."



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