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Journalism of Courage
Delhi’s pop culture enthusiasts were treated to a spectacular weekend as Delhi Comic Con 2024 unfolded from December 6 to 8. Over three days, the city became a hub for fans of comics, anime, superhero films, and more. The event cemented its reputation as India’s largest celebration of pop culture, drawing over 52,000 attendees and 5,000 cosplayers, who donned outfits inspired by Naruto, Batman and even Chitti, the robot.
At the heart of this phenomenon is Jatin Varma, founder of Comic Con India. In a candid conversation with indianexpress.com, Varma shared the journey of Comic Con’s success, his vision for the future, and the evolution of India’s pop culture scene. Read the edited experts of the conversation below.
Q. What inspired you to start Comic Con India?
Jatin Varma: I started Comic Con because I was a fan. It wasn’t a business venture; it stemmed from my personal desire to put everything together in one place. At that time, before e-commerce, it was so much easier to find comics and toys at a convention. That’s how it all began.
Q. Over the years, what changes have you seen in India’s pop culture scene?
Jatin Varma: I think the growth has a lot to do with the accessibility of technology. Social media played a huge role in making pop culture mainstream. With streaming and gaming, things just exploded. The great thing about the internet is that content from India can now go anywhere in the world, and vice versa. Pop culture is now global, and anything happening globally is coming to India as well.
Q. How would you define pop culture today?
Jatin Varma: To put it simply, pop culture is anything that’s trending and consumed by a large segment of society, especially the youth. But it’s more than just comics, movies or toys today. It also includes YouTube influencers, which weren’t traditionally considered part of pop culture. Even cricket, that transcends age groups, is a part of pop culture. In the next few years, I think we’ll see the definition expand even further.
Q. You’ve seen Comic Con grow over the years. What does the future look like for the event?
Jatin Varma: We recently became part of Nodwin Gaming, so under their aegis, we’re planning to expand to more cities. We’re already in eight cities, and we hope to reach even more. But more importantly, we want to enhance the quality of the event itself. Right now, we’re a mix of an exhibition and performances. In the future, we plan to make it even more experiential with a bigger focus on technology and gaming.
Q. Why is gaming such a huge part of Comic Con’s future?
Jatin Varma: Gaming is one of the biggest industries in the world. It’s becoming part of everyone’s lives, from casual gaming to competitive gaming, and it spans all ages. For some, Comic Con might even be their first introduction to the gaming space. I think this expanded focus on gaming will be a key part of the future.
