Cosplayer Interview 3: Rajat Mehta (Fui Fui Man)

(https://www.facebook.com/fuifuiman)

Rajat Mehta or Fui Fui Man, as he is known in the cosplay community, is not only a skilled propmaker but also a really talented cosplayer from Delhi. Having won accolades for his FMA Alphonse cosplay & Blastoise, he tells us what cosplay means to him.

Q. What do you do professionally?

A. Currently planning to leave my college and join a new animation school!

Q. When did you cosplay for the first time?

A. I first cosplayed in the year 2012 for minicon. I got first place for a sasuke cosplay ( made a working windmill shuriken)

Q. What does cosplay mean to you personally?

A. I won't really say it "means" something to me, its just a fun thing do do!

Q. How did you feel when your Blastoise won in it’s category at Comic con?

A. I felt high. Really HIGH! (literally)

   Well I was shocked for my big daddy category prize. The costume was all over the place!

Q. Do you prefer cosplaying anime or gaming characters?

A. I don't really have a preference like that! I cosplay characters I like, I avoid characters with alot of fabric though as i can't really do much with it by myself.  

Q. Which is your dream cosplay?

A. Don't really have one as of now. Though I really want to make something with automated parts and LED's. Basically electronic stuff!

Q. Which was your most complicated cosplay till date?

A. I guess it would be Alphonse. Its the first proper mecha cosplay I've done! Right now I'm working on a 7 feet tall Gundam suit, so yeah that!

Q. Generally for making props, what materials do you prefer to use?

A. I usually use EVA foam and wood and PVC. 

Q. Who are your favourite cosplayers, nationally & internationally?

A. I don't really have any favourite cosplayers in India. My favourite cosplayer is Elffi, from Finland.

You can catch Fui in action at the Anime Convention in Delhi happening on 17th-19th of this month.

Interview Conducted by Charlotte Rodricks

{Indian Cosplay Community}

Cosplayer Interview 3: Ajay Kapoor

Ajay Kapoor is a man of few words. A laid back guy with a quiet demeanour, he prefers to let his work do the talking.Two time comic con grand prize winner, he tells us about himself & what cosplay is to him.

 Q1. Tell us about yourself.

I’m a software Engineer with Accenture. Originally from Delhi, I’ve been working in Bangalore for the past three years.

Q2. Why did you decide to cosplay?

I have loved working with tools and making stuff since I was a kid. Cosplay provided me with a good challenge to deconstruct a character’s costume and then make it myself.

Q3. What was your first cosplay?

Tony Stark at the first Bangalore Comic Con.

Q4. What are  your hobbies & interests apart from cosplaying?

Other interests include drawing, reading  (big Harry Potter  fan boy), playing with lego, and occasionally photography. 

Q5. How do you make your cosplays & how much do they cost you on an average?

I try to make as much of my costume as I can by myself. I usually use fabric glue a lot, mixed with stitching wherever finishing is required. For working with uncommon fabrics like rexine or lycra, I usually go to the tailor to get it stitched. I also make my props myself. For those, I try to use stuff I find lying around the house.

Since I save on tailor costs, on an average, my cosplays cost about 3k per costume including all props.

Q6. Your most expensive cosplay till date?

Angemon set me back by  about 3.7k.

Q7. Could you please describe its construction?

While making the costume, I broke it down into smaller components, the wings, the bodysuit and the helmet. For the wings, I got big sheets of white colored foam, cut out the wing patterns and hot glued them around a thick wire frame. For the bodysuit I got lycra from a local market and gave it to the tailor to have it stitched. In the meantime, I used foam and rexine to craft out the add ons to the costume such as the belt and the helmet. I put on a coat of white paint over the wings and silver over the helmet and let them dry. My wig did not arrive on time so I had to make a mock one for myself. I cut 7 reels of thick thread to almost meter length pieces and then hot glued them to the inside of the foam helmet that I had made earlier. For the staff, I got a pvc pipe and spray painted it golden. Once I got the bodysuit back, I cut out the face section, added Velcro straps to the wings to make a harness, put it on and Angemon was ready.

Q8. If you had to improve it, what would you have done differently?

I really wished I’d gone to the gym a little more though, so that I wouldn’t have had to draw outlines for the chest and abs. :P

Q9. Which cosplays have you planned for NYCC?

As of now I only have one planned. Rath from Mummies Alive.

Q10. Any  advice for upcoming cosplayers & newbies?

Do a cosplay that you love and want to do, irrespective of what others might say, and put all your effort into it. Give it your best shot so that at the end of the day, you are a satisfied cosplayer. Also, check out works of other cosplayers and don't hesitate to ask and discuss your doubts, no matter how small they are.

Ajay Kapoor will next be seen, cosplaying at New York Comic Con. He is also the go to guy if anyone needs tips on sewing or on making props.

Interview Conducted by Charlotte Rodricks

[Editted by Rahul Sharma, NEA Props]

{Indian Cosplay Community}

Cosplayer Interview 2: Vijay Sinha (Vj)

https://www.facebook.com/VijaySinhaCosplay

Apart from being a ladies man, Cosplayer Vijay Sinha or Vj as he is fondly known amongst close friends, is also quite the gamer & geek.Having anchored MFCC 2013 & Delhi comic con 2014, here he expresses his opinions on all things cosplay.

Q1. What made you decide to cosplay?

I’ve known about cosplay for some time, but only started becoming actively interested after watching many other cosplayers perform during the many Comic Con India conventions that have been hosted over the years. I’ve just completed a year and I have a long way to go.

Q2. How do you choose your characters?

I usually have some  interest in the character before I decide to cosplay them. Gaming has been my de facto bread and butter to whatever interests me, so I am more partial to gaming cosplays (even though I’ve only done one so far). Gaming helped introduce me to Japanese anime, and similarly introduced me to the concept of cosplaying, so it suits me fine. For comic book and anime/manga characters, I often let someone else decide for me.

Q3.Who are your favourite cosplayers?

Too many to list! From just the Indian scene: Aorin Shariyari, Ajay Kapoor, Niha Novacaine, RahulSharma, Sameer Bundela, Tanya Mathew, Viraj Koshimkar and a few others I’m forgetting. Internationally, the list just goes on and on… Spencer Doe, LivingIchigo, Kelton, Tomoko Miya, Darcy & Peggy, Leon Chiro and more. Whether its India or abroad, there’s no shortage of favourite cosplayers.

Q4. Which has been your most expensive cosplay till date?

Easily Dante from Devil May Cry. I’ve spent more than 10 grand, which includes the overcoat made from rexine (Rs. 3.2k), the buckled vest (1.5k), the wig which I also got styled by Niha (1k), getting the props made (Rs. 7K in total), and smaller items like the gloves and black formal pants (about Rs. 800).

Q5. Tell us of your most memorable experience while cosplaying.

It would probably have to be cosplaying as Dante during the Cool Japan Festival 2014. Although I did do Dante while hosting the Mumbai Film & Comics Convention 2013 for just a day, I ended up having way more fun during CJF. That’s partly because I got to cosplay on all three days, something I’ve never done before. The other reason is getting the chance to meet and interact with members from the Mumbai Anime Club, as well as just regular fans. And of course, getting to perform on stage with the other cosplayers was also exciting and very memorable for me. I’m looking forward to the next one in 2015.

Q6. Have you faced any difficulties while cosplaying?

Plenty! One part is finding the right person to get that specific part of your costume done. I can’t stitch, nor do I have any experience in prop making, so I tend to seek out those who can get my work done much more easily. When I was getting my buckled vest for Dante made, I had to scope out three different tailors. The other thing to consider is transportation and travelling with your cosplay. If your character has a lot of props, then bringing those alone requires additional care, especially if you’re looking to greet some security guard with wooden firearms!

Q7. Where do you buy your costumes, props and wigs from?

For costumes, I generally get them stitched locally in Bangalore, although I’ve had things made for me outside as well. I’ve had props made by Rahul Sharma (NEA Props) and Viraj Koshimkar, and I’ve also approached people like Rohit (Redemption Props)and Ajay Kapoor for future works. Wigs are either from ebay or aliexpress.com.

Q8. What are your thoughts on the cosplay scene in India?

Cosplay in India continues to grow at a crazy rate, and the prospect of going to future conventions just to meet new people or watch someone’s latest work is pretty enticing by itself. We are also seeing smaller outlets like retail stores or online sites taking an interest, and hosting their own competitions. Hopefully in the future, we will get to see events spring from places like Kolkata, Pune or Chennai very soon.

Q9. Whom will you cosplay next?

For June-July 2014, I’m planning a cosplay shoot for Vergil from Devil May Cry 3. Once I get that done, I will get started on my other characters for Bangalore Comic Con 2014 and Mumbai Film & Comics Convention 2014 although I’ve yet to fully finalize them.

Q10. Any advice for beginners and other cosplayers?

Although its been stated before but do check out Facebook group pages like Indian Cosplay Community for help on finding material, fabric, tailors or just other cosplayers. Confidence is definitely something that isn’t built in a day, so give yourself time to think and understand that cosplaying isn’t a race. Its important for you to be comfortable.

{Interview by Charlotte Rodricks}
{Photos by Mad Vish Photographos}

{Indian Cosplay Community}

Cosplayer Interview 1: Niha Patil (aka Niha Novacaine)

https://www.facebook.com/NihaNovacaine

Niha Patil (aka Niha Novacaine) is a Cosplayer from Mumbai, India. She is the first cosplayer that I found in India, years ago, when there were no cons and only a few states had anime clubs. As a person who has been cosplaying for a long time, she has put up a lot of amazing work in past few years alone. Let’s get to know her a little more through this question answer session:

Q.1) When did you start cosplaying and what got you into it?

 - My first cosplay was Uchiha Sasuke when I was 13 years old (I’m 21 now). I was already into Naruto back then. A quick image search on google revealed a guy who looked like Sasuke to me. I opened the image and saw him in Sasuke’s ninja clothes and style. The image said “cosplay” and several Google searches later, I decided I wanted to cosplay as well. I started cosplaying seriously in 2006. 

Q.2) How many characters have you cosplayed so far and which one is your favourite?

 - I’ve cosplayed several characters and even people. I really enjoy Japanese rock and Visual Kei and am a Gothic Lolita. So, naturally, I have cosplayed a few J rockers too. My favourite of the characters I’ve cosplayed has to be Lust because I had been waiting to cosplay her for more than three years. 

Q.3) Do you make your costume and props yourself?

 - Moslty all my props are handmade. I usually get help from my friends but I make stuff myself too. 

Q.4) How much time and money on an average do you spend on a costume? 

- Depends on the complexity of the costume. For example, Lust cost me 3,400 INR and Lighting Farron cost me 45,000 INR.

Q.5) Do you do commissions? 

- As of now, I cannot because I’m balancing a lot of work with cosplay. I hardly have time to finish my own costumes. So no, as of now I cannot accept commissions. However, I’m most likely to do so in the future.

Q.6) What’s your most memorable cosplay moment?

 -There are so many. From the time I first cosplayed for an MAC (Mumbai Anime Club) meet to the time I finally cosplayed a planned duo cosplay after FIVE YEARS of waiting because I did not have a cosplay partner. (Itachi x Kisame).

 Q.7) What’s your experience of cosplaying in public?

 - It can be good and it can be BAD. Female cosplayers don’t really get much protection from lecherous people. But when you’re in a safe environment, it’s an amazing experience. I wouldn’t trade ANYTHING for cosplay. 

Q.8) Have you ever crossplayed or plan to crossplay in future? 

- I’ve crossplayed two characters Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi. I plan more in the future. But not as of now.

Q.9) Who is your cosplay idol?

 - Miss Sinister and Enji Night. They Might not be the BEST but they’re my favorite ^^ 

Q.10) Any advice for first time cosplayers?

 - Quality over Complexity. ALWAYS. Never cosplay a character that is complex and rush everything. Take your time, make a simple cosplay but DO IT WELL!

Interview Conducted by Anima(Solario Jade)

[Editted by Rohan Andrew Michigan(Zoro)]

{Indian Cosplay Community}

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