Homegrown Halloween Costume Ideas Inspired By The Memes That Took Over 2026

Halloween is upon us. My first-ever costume was Princess Jasmine, and I made my parents play my loyal subjects. Since then, I’ve been a ghost, Mavis from Hotel Transylvania, and Fleabag.

In recent years, Halloween has become a full-blown phenomenon in India, with everyone rushing to parties and every bar and restaurant hosting its own Halloween night. What once felt like an imported novelty is now a fixture on the social calendar.

If you’re still scrambling for an outfit, we’ve put together a list of last-minute inspiration. Dip your toe into the desi memes and moments from 2026 that took over our timelines, group chats and office banter. There’s something for the reality-TV obsessives, the chronically online and anyone who would rather be recognised across the room than simply look scary. Most of these looks can be pulled together with things already in your wardrobe and a quick trip to a local market, and a few are made for pairs and groups, right down to the perfect couples’ costume. We’ve thought of it all, so all you have to do is show up and commit.

Ravi Kishan’s journey from character actor to politician to the face of desi memes deserves to be studied. This man has had a meme a month in the last quarter of this year, and there are plenty of versions of him to dress up as. Go as podcast Ravi Kishan in a simple grey shirt and white jacket, because your words will do all the talking. Or go as dancer Ravi Kishan: a double-breasted suit in any rambunctious colour, black pants, and a garland of flowers. Pair it with an atrociously colourful, printed scarf if you can, along with your most uninhibited moves and a tilted smile.

Oh, the eternally memeable and quotable Rakhi Sawant. She has single-handedly carried funny, landmark online moments for years now. This year, the queen of the internet was on Bigg Boss Marathi, so pick any of her outfits, or rather costumes, from there. My personal favourite is her as Sheshnag. With Rakhi, it’s less about what you wear and more about how you carry it. Be your most out-there, confident self and you’ll probably come close to the monolith that is Rakhi Sawant.

Our most recent meme debacle, and the perfect couples’ costume in my eyes: Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda. The lovebirds went on Koffee with Karan and retold their love story again and again, until the public finally told them to zip it. She loves him, and he loves her too, making them the perfect representation of the 2026 couple. Go with a lovely black one-piece for her, and an eye-catching blue coat, white shirt and black pants for the not-so-gentle man. If you want to go meta, dress up as Arjun Reddy and Rashmika’s character from Animal to solidify the lovebird status even more.

If there’s one genre that has eaten our feeds alive this year, it’s the AI food drama. Chole is on trial. Idli and sambar are headed for divorce. A samosa is hopelessly in love with a jalebi. Somewhere in the multiverse, Chai has left Biscuit for Rusk, and none of us have recovered. The plots make no sense and the voiceovers are unhinged, yet we all watched every episode. The best part is that it makes for a brilliant group costume. Go as the Chai-Biscuit-Rusk love triangle. For couples, Chole and Bhature are a natural pair, though you should decide in advance who has been betrayed.

One of the most significant socio-cultural and political parts of this have been the protests that have taken over the country from July’s NEET protests to now with the SIR and the Election Commission protests. The people in power have unanimously decided that the scariest thing you can possibly be is a protester. If you need a more sharper reference, the maulana at Jantar Mantar who wanted to die for democracy is a pretty good shout.So this Halloween, if you feel up for it, show up to the party with an eccentric poster and the funniest naras because nothing scares them more than our humour and dissent.

If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:

Celebrate The Festive Season With A One-Stop Homegrown Diwali Gifting Guide 

Creep It Real: A Homegrown Halloween Watchlist 

Homegrown Halloween Histories: The Horrifying Haunting Of Pune's Shaniwar Wada