Friday, 25 April 2025
Friday, 25 April 2025
The Kolkata edition of Comic Con at Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan saw cosplayers from across the country bring their favourite characters to life over the weekend. But what grabbed eyeballs was the Bengali twist added to fan-favourite superhero characters at the two-day event.
A topor and panjabi-clad Spider-Man, a Bengali version of Deadpool named Bong-Pool, and a Bengali Iron-Man in a dhoti — cosplayers nailed it with their fusion game, bringing out unique versions of their favourite superheroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Photo Courtesy: Soumyajit Dey
Ever imagined Ryan Reynold’s rule-breaking Deadpool rocking a classic white kurta? Meet Bong-pool, an epic fusion of Merc-with-a-Mouth and Bengali culture that turned heads at Comic Con.
In another Kolkata-meets-Marvel crossover, a fan donned Spider-Man’s suit underneath a blue kurta, topped off with a traditional Bengali topor.
When it comes to cosplaying, creativity knows no end. In true Bengali style, a cosplayer arrived in a yellow dhoti and white t-shirt, complete with Iron Man’s mask and signature gloves — serving up the perfect Bong superhero vibes.
While Spider-Man swung through every corner, other crowd-favourite cosplays included One Piece’s Luffy, Chainsaw Man’s Denji and Makima, as well as iconic characters from Naruto and Valorant.
Baisakhi Das embodied the powerful and enigmatic Reyna from Valorant, perfectly capturing the essence of her favourite character. Talking about her love for Reyna, she said, “When I heard her powerful voice, I felt, oh my god, this lady's everything.” Discussing the challenges faced by Indian cosplayers, she pointed out the artform’s slow acceptance and safety concerns in the country, especially since some fans tend to overly fantasise about characters.
But she remains hopeful about the growing community. Her advice to newcomers? “Just start. One thing I have learned in my cosplay journey is that we don't know how to make the costumes from the beginning. But once we start making it, we will make it. Like, it will happen,” the 25-year-old cosplayer, who visited the event with the Samatva booth, said.
Shubham Ghosh turned heads as he struck One Piece protagonist Luffy’s iconic second gear pose at the Comic Con. When asked about the most Luffy-like thing he has done in real life, his answer was simple — “Eat”. And if Luffy ever got lost in another anime world, it would be “definitely Food Wars,” he said.
Day 2 of Kolkata Comic Con was packed with Luffy cosplayers, but one fan added a fun twist to her cosplay by reimagining the beloved pirate as a woman.
No pop culture event is complete without a Re: Zero cosplay, and 21-year-old Priyanka Basumatary perfectly embodied her favourite character Rem. “Rem is a very cute character, but when it comes to defending her allies, she becomes a demon. I relate to that — I could be very good with people, but if they are messing with my allies, I could be badass,” she said. If Rem had a job in the real world, “she’d definitely be an assassin or a fierce bodyguard”, added Priyanka.
Gourav Chakraborty and Shreya Karmakar brought DC supervillains Joker and Harley Quinn to Comic Con, perfectly channeling the infectious energy of the infamous DC duo.
Spider-Man cosplays were a staple at the event, proving that the friendly neighborhood hero remains a fan favorite across generations. From kids to adults, the Marvel hero was everywhere.
Pooja and Abhinava Chakraborty posed for the lens as Makima and Obito from Chainsaw Man and Naruto, respectively.
Another Valorant showcase was by Esha Singh, who dazzled as the Filipino speedster agent Neon from the video game.
A cosplayer struck Denji’s iconic pose from Chainsaw Man — arms with blood-stained chainsaws stretched out.
Ahead of the release of Daredevil: Born Again in March, Shaurya Shaw was all decked up as Punisher for Kolkata Comic Con.
The cosplays weren’t just restricted to anime and superheroes — horror made its mark too. A fan nailed Terrifier franchise’s Art the Clown’s signature pose at the event.
Several Call of Duty fans geared up as Ghost from Modern Warfare 2, proving that gaming characters are just as beloved as anime and superhero icons.
Genshin Impact also had a strong presence, with one cosplayer capturing the elegance of Keqing from the open-world adventure RPG.
From iconic anime characters to video game icons and fan-favourite superheroes, Kolkata edition of Comic Con celebrated pop culture fandoms in all its glory, proving that cosplaying isn’t just a hobby— it’s an artform that demands passion, dedication and most importantly, creativity.
