'16 Hours Every Day For A Month': Fashion Designer Spends ₹20,000 For An 8-Foot-Tall Cosplay Costume For Mumbai Comic Con 2026

As Mumbai Comic Con 2026 gears up to take over the Jio World Convention Centre on May 9 and 10, fans across the city are preparing for two days packed with anime, gaming, manga, cosplay, and pop culture madness. But amid the excitement, one cosplayer is going all out this season with an 8-foot-tall handcrafted costume that took an entire month of non-stop work to complete.

'Emperor of Mankind' set to take over Mumbai Comic Con

Meet 39-year-old Tejal Sanjay Mulik, a fashion designer turned full-time cosplayer, who will be stepping into Mumbai Comic Con 2026 as the “Emperor of Mankind” from the popular game Warhammer. And this isn’t just another cosplay outfit. It’s a massive, intricately detailed creation built with foam, foam clay, velvet fabric, 3D prints, handcrafted armour elements, and a towering five-foot sword.

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Tejal revealed that creating the costume became an around-the-clock mission. "It took relentless hard work of 16 hours every day for a whole month," she shared.

Inside the 8-foot-tall costume

The dramatic cape ensemble was created using red velvet fabric layered with golden rexine and spray-painted details. For the borders, Tejal used a specially designed 3D-printed roller to create lace patterns with foam strips. Even the eagle motifs on the costume involved intense craftsmanship. "Only the face is 3D printed, while the rest of the feathers are hand-sculpted," Tejal explained.

The detailing didn’t stop there. The sword itself stands at five feet tall, while the wig, painting, weathering, and finishing touches were all done personally by Tejal. "I used black gesso and Fevicol as primer before spray-painting everything. The weathering was done by hand, and I even used pebbles as maroon gems,” Tejal added.

The elaborate build reportedly cost around ₹20,000. Tejal credited her partner for helping with the technical side of the project, especially learning 3D software Blender. “My partner helped me learn Blender, which allowed me to print some parts myself. For more complicated designs, he created models from scratch because we needed the costume to remain lightweight and wearable,” Tejal said.

Seven years of Comic Con love and more

This year marks Tejal’s seventh Comic Con appearance, and the cosplayer says the best part of the event is the sense of community it creates. "The event brings all cosplayers under one roof and gives us a platform to showcase our talent,” Tejal shared.

Like many Indian anime fans, Tejal’s anime journey started with Naruto on Animax. “It still remains my favourite anime,” Tejal admitted, while also naming Berserk as a favourite manga and praising its lead character Guts.

What Indian anime fans really want

Talking about India’s growing anime culture, Tejal believes there’s room for even bigger fan experiences in the country. "We welcome anime and K-dramas equally warmly. I think we need more small meet-and-greet events, cosplay gatherings, anime screenings, and manga readings. Fans really want more spaces to celebrate these communities,” Tejal concluded.