06 November,2018 09:07 AM IST | Mumbai | Dalreen Ramos
A couple of years ago, I encountered a 60-year-old woman who came to a festival dressed as Muriel Bagge, the old Scottish woman from Courage the Cowardly Dog. It was so inspiring, and only goes to show that this art form can cross age barriers," says Jeet Molankar, the reigning champion of the Indian Cosplay Championship, who even represented the country at the Crown Championship of Cosplay in Chicago. His memory alone is enough to shatter the common perception surrounding the art form - that's it's only done by people who aren't strapped for time, or those who take keen interest in specific genres such horror or anime.
But Molankar, who quit his advertising job last year to pursue cosplaying full time, sheds light on how cosplaying can actually be quite practical. At a workshop this Sunday, he will introduce participants to the basics of cosplaying - touching upon the key elements to be understood while planning and creating props and costumes. "There are always two aspects to cosplaying. You need to decide if you want to do it for fun or be part of a competition like Comic Con. One needs to also make sure that they are comfortable in whatever they wear," Molankar says, while adding that it isn't expensive to make a costume. "You could even do origami work on your costume and build it out of paper. A decent one will cost you only between '500 and '1,000, and even lesser if you're good with money," he says.
Now professionally working on props for Bollywood sets, Molankar shares that his primary goal of conducting the workshop is to motivate more people to try cosplay. He says, "It is more than just Halloween costumes. If you follow something closely, such as a television show, you can easily be inspired. I want to tell people that it isn't something you have to think a lot about."
On: November 11, 2 to 5 pm
At: Doolally Taproom, Khar West.
Log on to: doolally.in
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