...Return to the galaxy

As Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens today, HAFSA FATHIMA speaks to enthusiastic fans across India, who keep the spirit of the franchise alive

December 15, 2016 03:59 pm | Updated 04:00 pm IST

Fans portray Han Solo and Chewbacca PHOTO: AT8

Fans portray Han Solo and Chewbacca PHOTO: AT8

I f every Christmas from now means a new Star Wars movie, the holidays will be truly merry for a long time to come. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in cinemas today, and excitement has been building up since its inception. The eighth film to join the franchise, Rogue One isn’t a direct sequel to last year’s The Force Awakens , but is both a standalone film and a prequel to George Lucas’ first film in the saga, A New Hope .

In A New Hope ’s iconic opening, a captured Princess Leia’s ship has been boarded by the soldiers of the totalitarian Empire and their general, Darth Vader. Part of the Rebel Alliance, a resistance movement that aimed to overthrow the Empire, Leia stores the plans of the Empire’s base, the Death Star, in her droid R2D2, ensuring he will carry them to other members of resistance.

While A New Hope is the story of how the Death Star is destroyed by Vader’s (nee Anakin Skywalker) son, Luke, Rogue One documents the story of how those plans were stolen by a ragtag team of rebels, including the series’ newest protagonist, Jyn Erso.

The film is pitched along the lines of an epic, and the local fan community, a mix of merchandise collectors, cosplayers and enthusiasts, is ready for Rogue One to provide the answers it has been waiting for, and to return to a long-cherished galaxy.

The beginning of a Star Wars fandom in India is hard to trace, but Jatin Varma, founder of Comic Con India, says that while a base of fans has always existed, a coherent community emerged only recently. “The fandom wasn’t able to connect before, but with the rise of social media, especially Facebook, it was easier to come together,” he explains. “I think this franchise has the most intense fans yet; it connects to everyone. And everyone loves Yoda.”

The intensity of excitement leads loyalists to blur the lines between fiction and reality; there are Stormtrooper “legions” or clubs all over the world, people dedicated to learning the Wookiee language, and those who identify with ‘Jediism’ as a religion. “I’ve never seen this kind of community or passion in fans of other franchises,” says Jatin, “It’s not just the stories and characters, but the way you’re able to feel like you’re a part of something bigger.”

“My friends and I settle into a routine before the release of any Star Wars movie,” says Anusha Ganapathi, a student of economics. “We marathon-watch the other movies in the series, re-read the old comics and movie novelisations, and discuss our theories about what we think will happen next.” Even for older fans, there’s a mix of trepidation and excitement, “I’m interested in how they’re going to bridge the gap between the original and prequel trilogy,” says Sashini Rodrigo, who cosplays Star Wars characters. “Even though it’s a familiar story, there’s still so much to learn. That’s the beauty of the Star Wars universe.”

Merchandise is a big component of every release, and collectors are anticipating adding more to their painstakingly-crafted hordes. A plethora of posters, action figures, and costumes that were initially inaccessible, have now been brought to India with a helpful nudge from the Internet. Listing sites such as Amazon, Redwolf, PosterGully and Planet Superheroes, Surya Sreenivasan, a fan, says he gets a good bargain online and can “find things that are offbeat and different”.

Merchandise has also become localised for easier access, says fan Kailash Harsha. “There’s nothing you can’t procure if you look hard enough,” he explains, “With Comic Con gaining popularity in India, getting hold of merchandise has become a lot easier.”

Some, like Nirica Srinivasan, a media student, have been inspired to create their own merchandise. “I started making customised postcards a while ago,” she says, “My friends’ interest in the saga sparked my own, and I made Star Wars- themed cards with different characters and quotes.”

Fans are also immersing themselves in Star Wars ’ canon through cosplay, dressing up as iconic characters. Sunil Choppala threw together a Stormtrooper outfit with whatever materials he could find. “It can be expensive, ranging to almost Rs. 15,000 for a piece,” he says. “There’s satisfaction in creating my own, and the reactions I get from other fans makes it worth it. People go nuts when they see a Star Wars cosplay; they always want to learn themselves.” Ashwin Shakthi, who cosplays on the regular, has donned his Jedi outfit for many conventions. “I chose it because the New Jedi Order resonates with me, philosophically,” he says, “It’s also a great costume to customise, while keeping canon accurate.”

Rogue One is the start of a new era, and local fans hope it will mean that their community will grow larger. “I’d definitely like to see a bigger community evolve,” says Sashini, “Things such as midnight premières with costumes, or a larger presence at conventions — these things go a long way.” The attraction is inevitable, and Kailash credits it to “the sheer magnanimity of the whole universe”. Then he adds, “That’s why I fell in love with it.”

Force trivia

* The famous phrase ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this’, became a running gag, being repeated in every movie.

* The Wookiee Chewbacca’s voice is a mix of bears, walruses, lions and badgers.

* Burt Reynolds almost played Han Solo, until Harrison Ford was picked.

* A small island called Niue accepts collectible Star Wars coins as legal tender.

* The Church of Jediism was founded in 2007 by the Jones brothers. Jediism was officially recognised as a religion in the 2001 U.K. census.

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