BAHURUPI – A Journey with the professional Bahurupi Cosplayers of Bengal 

Biduyt Goswami & Debraj Das 

Bahurupi artistes belong to a special traditional community of Bengal as well as Indian folk culture. Those who metamorphose themselves into different avatars to entertain people on the streets of the villages, in the market-places in the households, in the trains or buses or at fairs are known as Bahurupi cosplayers. Due to the swiping scythe of globalization, a revolutionary change has taken place in the traditional style of village entertainment. Like many other folk cultural elements, the art of being a Bahurupi is also at the verge of extinction. This books captures some of the moments experienced by two amateur photographers with a few of these professional Bahurupi artistes of Bengal who are struggling for existence.