13 September,2023 07:45 AM IST | Mumbai | Devanshi Doshi
A cosplayer dresses up as Ninja Batman at a previous meet-up session
In 2021, a New Delhi-based psychologist set out on a journey to create a group of otakus (anime enthusiasts), which he named Anime Group India. "We started out as a small group and now are a registered community organisation that not only brings anime lovers together, but also contributes towards promoting indie artistes," says 27-year-old founder, Dr Shubham Singhal. He is set to bring one of its most sought-after events, Anime Voice Fest, to Mumbai for the first time on Sunday.
Cosplayers take the stage at the previous edition of the fest
"Anime is so much more than just entertainment. For me, it is the reason why I pursued psychology," Singhal reveals, adding that the deep layers in every story and the focus on its characters - be it a side character, the lead or even the villain - made him develop interest in all kinds of human behaviour. "These are characters written by real people. Even though most of it is fiction, and even fantasy, it is important to note that these thought-provoking narratives are inspired from the human world, and thus tell us so much about why we behave in a certain way," he says.
His two favourite animes are polar opposites, namely Fairy Tail, which inspires friendship and camaraderie, and Naruto Shippuden, which teaches you how to overcome abandonment and learn to rise back up alone. His own Fairy Tail moment arrived when he found himself struggling at times with Anime Group India, and his friend Yusuf Man and sister Komal Singh saw him through. "They are my backbone," Singhal smiles.
Singhal is a cosplayer winner of Konichiwa Japan, 2019 and tells us that the dressing up-as-your-favourite-anime-character activity is a must at these events. But what makes for the core of this particular event is when Indian voice artistes will take to the stage. "When you watch dubbed versions of anime in Hindi, you follow the characters, but never recognise the voices behind them.
Merchandise from the popular anime series
Voice actors are so crucial to the narratives which are originally made in foreign languages, but they don't get any recognition simply because they are invisible. However, the moment you tell people that this is the face behind your favourite childhood cartoon, or anime, it fills them with wonder and nostalgia. They wish to see the artistes perform. The motive of Anime Voice Fest is to give a platform to such artistes, and for the audience to relive their fond childhood memories," reveals Singhal.
The itinerary also consists of a cosplay and talent contest, anime quiz, anime music and a YouTuber's panel. "In this event, otakus and weebs will be able to meet and interact with cosplay characters from different anime, voice artists and anime YouTubers. They also stand a chance to win exciting prizes for the anime quiz contest and cosplay competition. Mumbaikar otakus know about the craze and excitement around the previous editions of Anime Voice Fest. And now that we have the extensive itinerary, we really look forward to it," vouches Rivika Khanna, founder of Mumbai Anime Corps, which is also one of the media partners.
Shubham Singhal
The event will see a host of beloved anime YouTubers including Daniyal Ultimate Hakai, KTZH TV and ZenDrago X. Mumbai's Jazyl Homavazir will stream his webcomic Beast Legion's intro, as well as his KrishaXNaruto fan animation. The cherry on top for this event is undoubtedly the official anime merchandise available for sale, which will also be distributed among select participants.
On: September 17; 3 pm onwards
At: ASPEE Auditorium, Laxminarayan Mandir Complex, next to Nutan School, Malad West
Log on to: linktr.ee/animegroupindia
Entry: Rs 350 onwards
The voiceover artistes include Rajesh Kava (the voice for Daniel Radcliffe in the Hindi iteration of the Harry Potter series; Buggy in One piece live-action, and Sasuke in Naruto); Sanket Mhatre (the voice of Lord Ram's character in The Legend of Hanuman, Deadpool, Green Lantern, Batman, Captain America and Zoro); Ketan Kava (the voice for Kai in Beyblade, Robin in Teen Titans Go, Tongari in Kiteretsu, Kabuto Yakushi in Naruto, Miles Morales, and Barry in Pokemon); Shanoor Mirza (the voice actor for Dexter, SpongeBob, Shaggy, Oswald, Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series, Superman and Lightning McQueen); Meghana Erande (voice of Ninja Hattori, Noddy, Maruko Chan, Pako in Perman, officer Jenny in Pokemon, Dorami in Doraemon, and Sandy in SpongeBob SquarePants); and Vaibhav Thakkar (the Indian voice for Tom Holland in Spiderman, Luffy in One piece live-action, Kid Goku for Dragon Ball Z, Tyson in Beyblade, Gru in Minions-The rise of Gru and Phineas in Phineas and Ferb).
