Jon Snow's Fur Coat And Sword, The Props For Batman Begins Were Made In This Factory In Noida!

When Jon Snow recently declared that his 'watch had ended' in the popular TV series Game Of Thrones (GoT), the character gave up the black cloak of the Night's Watch and put on his family's attire of armour and pelt. While the story of GoT unfolds in the mythical land of Westeros, the armour and pelt that our hero wears are made right here in Noida! Located in the Noida Special Economic Zone (some 15 km from the main city) is the factory of RS Windlass And Sons, a company that manufactures not just official merchandise for fantasy shows, but has also provided props and costumes to some major Hollywood productions like Rome, The Tudors, 300 and Batman Begins.

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The warehouse and factory is a nerd's paradise. You will find memorabilia and costumes from various productions and fantasy film franchises here - from the robe Obi-Wan Kenobi wore in Star Wars and Harry Potter's Gryffindor uniform, to the Knights Templar armour from Assassin's Creed and the cape Themistocles wore in 300. Rajiv Goil, partner of the company, tells us:

"We began as suppliers to the military, back in 1943. It was decades later that we ventured into the replica business."

Goil says, "We moved to providing to collectors and finally making merchandise for Hollywood productions by the mid-1990s." The company has a unit in Dehradun that manufactures swords, armour and other metalwork, which is supplied to production houses. The Noida unit manufactures garments and foam replicas of weapons. Goil adds:

"GoT is the current fad and the most popular. But we aren't limited to that. We have made stuff for The Star Wars trilogy, Harry Potter series, the two 300 films, TV shows like Rome, Sleepy Hollow, as well as for the Assassin's Creed game."

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The company has a sister concern in the US, which gets orders from major Hollywood studios. Although the company was set up in the 1940s in India, the Noida unit started functioning in 1998 after they ventured into producing props and replicas for Hollywood productions.

TOI

But the costumes and swords made here have been seen only in Hollywood productions, not in any Indian films. Goil says:

"There are so many fantasy shows and movies being made in India currently, but most of them do not want to pay much for props and merchandise. The business is not considered as important as it is in the West. There was one producer a few years ago who started a film on the Buddha and he gave us a bulk order for costumes. We started work, procured the fabric, but six months down the line, he shelved the project. It was a loss of investment for us in many ways. So we stick to Hollywood productions." And it's not just today's major fantasy dramas that the company works for. You can also find some iconic costumes from classics in their factory here. There is King Arthur's garb from Monty Python And The Holy Grail and the white suit made famous by Clark Gable in Gone With The Wind. The dresses Vivien Leigh wore in the same movie are also here. "These things are popular, but everything pales in comparison to the popularity of the Harry Potter series. That was our best-selling line. Game Of Thrones is catching up fast now," Goil says.

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Although props made by Windlass in both Noida and Dehradun have been seen in several productions in the West, the company says their main focus remains the manufacture of replicas. Goil says, "We focus mainly on licensed replicas now, instead of providing props. That is where the major business is." The replicas, the makers maintain, are every bit the same as the costumes worn by the actors. "They are the same fabric, same quality and same specifications," Goil adds.

Made in Noida, but not sold in India

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Goil explains:

"We only export these items. There is no market for them in India. The kind of specifications and quality we are asked for from the production houses means the cost of making is high. For instance, the entire ensemble for Obi-Wan Kenobi costs $4,000 (Rs 2.6 lakh). Who would spend that kind of money for a film costume in India."

Even the latex replicas of GoT swords the company makes are priced at $100 (Rs 6,600). The bulk of the customers for these works are foreign buyers, including collectors, cosplayers, and re-enacters.