.jpg "Sonam Kapoor poses with stormtroopers ahead of The Force Awakens’ release.")
It’s a ‘war’ that everyone’s been looking forward to and it has reached Mumbai’s shores today. Even as the new Star Wars film — The Force Awakens — opens in city theatres, frenzy among fans (or should we say, our homegrown intergalactic warriors ) is at an all-time high, and they’re just as “prepared” as their counterparts in the West for the latest installment in the franchise.
Star Wars merchandise has certainly seen an upswing in popularity as The Force Awakens release drew nearer. Add to that the fact that the Mumbai Film and Comic Convention coincided with the release week, so fans had plenty of avenues to indulge their obsession for all things Force-related.
About the frenzy surrounding Star Wars merchandise, Lester D’Souza, vice president — sales for popular merchandise distributor PlanetSuperheroes, says that Comic Con and the film’s release could not have been timed better. “We totally sold out our stock and we are selling at least 200 units a day of an assortment of merchandise. The fastest moving items on the list are themed T-shirts and hoodies as they are in the lower price segment. But other items that are selling quite well are the figurines and collectibles. Thanks to the buzz surrounding the release, there are a number of hardcore fans interested in collectibles and accessories and that has boosted sales.” While such sales had long been expected in the run up to The Force Awakens, Lester adds that the Star Wars frenzy is also a sign of the entire merchandise market having matured. “It has definitely boomed in the past few years. But the difference is the age group that is being targeted. Earlier, merchandise revolved around items such as toys and lunch boxes aimed at the kids section, but now the target is the 18 to 45 age group, as they are the ones who come and buy Star Wars merchandise.”
City-based merchandiser Devesh Chabra adds that Star Wars is set to be a gamechanger for the market. “The best thing about Star Wars is that it is cutting across generations. It has fans of George Lucas’ original version and the later prequel reboots and now the latest one as well. However, it is still difficult to get the same exhaustive range of merchandise in India as in the west. And sourcing original and authentic merchandise has proved quite tough for local distributors,” Devesh says.
This is where online portals like Amazon and Flipkart have stepped in, catering to the demand from fans. “The online market has really boomed and most of these major portals have ensured that merchandise reaches fans in the country in a war footing. And since these big players have proper checks and measures towards fake products as well, the buyers have trust too,” says Lester D’Souza.
Of course, no one’s rejoicing more at being catered to so comprehensively than the fans themselves. Prem Panchal, who works as an assistant director and is an ardent Star Wars fan, says he and his friends will be sporting iconic costumes and will enter the theatre in true fighting spirit! “We will be going to the premiere show dressed as characters from the series and we plan to go in fighting with our lightsabers!” says Prem, adding, “While sourcing merchandise such as lightsabers is tough, it isn’t impossible thanks to online portals. I got my lightsaber from Amazon and the quality is excellent since the merchandise is original; the only problem is it is quite expensive.” Original Star Wars lightsabers are retailing on Amazon India for between Rs 3,000-4,000.
Another fan, Manav Arora — who has been wearing his Star Wars T-shirt “everywhere for the past few days” — says that a bunch of likeminded friends have made plans to catch the premiere show together. “While fans here may not be as fanatical as the ones in the West, we too are genuine and honest fans of the franchise,” says Manav. “I am going (for the premiere) with a small group of friends who are all as crazy about Star Wars as I am. I wouldn’t go with anyone else. It will be simple and fun!”
A major part of promotions that garnered a lot of interest from Star Wars fans was the Star Wars battle pod that was put up at the Comic Con. Telling us about the Battle Pod, Jatin Varma, the founder of Comic Con says, “We had partnered with Disney to put up the Battle Pod and it was a big hit. It is a game chamber where fans can play Star Wars themed game and it was one of the highlights of the event as there was a waiting time of about 45 minutes to 1 hour for using it. There was a large queue for the Battle Pod throughout both the days.”
Cast of characters Luke Skywalker: Luke Skywalker rose from humble beginnings to become one of the greatest Jedi knights the galaxy has ever seen. Along with his friends Princess Leia and Han Solo, Luke battled the evil Galactic Empire and discovered the truth of his parentage, thus ending the tyranny of the Sith.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader: Once a heroic Jedi Knight, Darth Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He became a Sith Lord and led the Empire’s eradication of the Jedi Order. He changed his name to Darth Vader (meaning Shadow warrior) and is the father of Luke and Leia.
Princess Leia Organa: Princess Leia is one of the Rebel Alliance’s greatest leaders. She’s the daughter of Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, and the sister of Luke Skywalker.
Yoda: Yoda was a legendary Jedi Master. Wise and powerful, he trained Jedi knights for over 800 years, playing important roles in the Clone Wars and the instruction of Luke Skywalker.
Han Solo: Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon, was one of the great leaders of the Rebel Alliance. He joined Luke and Leia in the fight against the Empire.
Chewbacca: Legendary Wookiee warrior and Han Solo’s co-pilot, Chewbacca (aka Chewie) was part of a core group of Rebels who helped restore freedom to the galaxy.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: A legendary Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi trained Anakin Skywalker, served as a general in the Republic Army during the Clone Wars, and guided Luke Skywalker as a mentor.
R-2 D-2: A droid, R2-D2 has served Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker and Luke Skywalker.
C-3PO: Built by Anakin Skywalker, C-3PO is a constant companion to R2-D2 and is fluent in more than seven million forms of communication.
GLOSSARY The events depicted in Star Wars take place in a fictional galaxy. Many planets in the galaxy are members of a Galactic Republic, later reorganised as the Galactic Empire.
The Force: “The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together,” say the films. Basically, certain people can use their mind to move objects, to control what people do and think, and more, using the Force. Not everyone can use the Force, but those who can, use it for good (like the Jedi) or evil (the Sith). Hence, the phrase: “May the Force be with you”.
Jedi: Long ago, Jedi Knights kept the peace and fought the Sith. Eventually, the Sith took over and killed all but a few Jedi. In episodes IV, V and VI, the Jedi join forces with the Rebellion to defeat the Empire. Someone in training to become a Jedi is known as Padawan or a Jedi apprentice.
Lightsaber: A blade made of pure energy wielded by those who can use the force.
Death Star: A space station that Darth Vader uses to blow up planets.
The Millennium Falcon: Han Solo’s (space)ship.
Stormtrooper: Soldiers in white body armour who work for the Empire.
Droid: A robot with artificial intelligence.
Clones: Soldiers of the Republic, the governing body in episodes I, II and III.
Franchise so far The Original Trilogy: Star Wars is made up of three trilogies that were not made in order. First came episodes IV, V and VI — Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). In that trilogy, the good guys (the Rebellion and the Jedi) fight the bad guys (the Empire, ruled by the Sith).
The Prequels: The prequels were Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). The trilogy chronicled how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. George Lucas directed both the first and second trilogies.
The New Films: The new movie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the first installment in the new trilogy. It is directed by J.J. Abrams and includes the original stars: Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker). It will be followed by two more Star Wars films, now being called just episodes VIII and IX.
