With Chennai gearing up to celebrate the 125 birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, on November 14, which is Children’s Day, costumes rental stores in the neighbourhood are getting busy.
S. Karthik Siva Kumar and Sangeetha, parents of nine-year-old K. Vijay, never would have imagined that shopping for costumes of Tintin, a fictional character from The Adventures of Tintin , would be so difficult. They were relieved after being told by his school teacher that they can be ‘rented out’.
Kalaimagal Costumes, on Anna Street, Thiruvanmiyur, run by K. Shanti, for more than a decade, has everything from costumes of super heroes to those lining up with the personal dress code of national heroes.
“The costumes can be rented for a day or two. Come November and December, my staff and I will be working under tight-deadlines bringing alive the dreams and fantasies of Children, who aspire to fit into some character for a role on Children’s Day, Christmas, New Year or for cultural programmes and annual day celebrations at schools,” K. Shanthi says.
“The demand for traditional costumes based on history and mythology continues to be good. There is also a parallel demand for western outfits, for dances or role plays. The schools in the neighbourhood are also among our biggest clients. We customise costumes for them based on their requirements,” she says. In keeping with the times, the rental store has tweaked its revenue model.
“We also undertake package deals instead of charging on a per day basis. A package deal could include either just costumes or even a make-up in which case my staff go to the venue and take care of the entire look of the performers,” K. Shanthi pointed out. She can be contacted at 98413 32498.
