Hidden stars: Voices driving hundreds of stories on screen

Vaal to velladaniki odalava? (How dare you stop me from going with him?) Actor Soundarya’s character in the hit Kannada movie Apthamitra immortalised this line in 2004, and it now features in TikTok videos. But it was dubbing artist Shashikala who actually delivered the dialogue. Shashikala is among the unsung members of the Kannada film and television industry whose craft and effort breathe life into a scene.
Their voice may sound familiar, but you will struggle to put a name or face to it. Most of the time, it’s the stars you think of.

Voice dubbing is a sophisticated task — Australian author Michael Gerard Bauer wrote that voice is a second face — and it involves getting various nuances of speech right. It amplifies the effect of the actions and emotions being portrayed on the screen, and many popular actors have had their lines spoken by studio talent.
“Every individual has a breathing pattern. The challenge for any dubbing artist is to analyse and master it,” says Sunetra Pandit, who has dubbed for over 600 films in a career spanning 25 years.
While lead actors prefer to dub for themselves, filmmakers often call in dubbing artists. This is because the actor may not know the language well or the director wants a particular tone. There was a period when actresses were advised not to speak in a heavy voice. “They were expected to be mellow and sweet, and speak softly in a particular ‘girlish’ tone. Thankfully, the trend is changing. Many directors are ready to experiment and want actors to use their natural accent. It’s a welcome change as one needn’t speak artificiality,” says Sunetra. When she stepped into the studio to dub for cult Kannada movie Om (1995), she had little understanding of the art. But she picked it up quickly. The role and importance of a dubbing artist in films are still not familiar to many. “Until recently, many people didn’t know I was a dubbing artist,” says Sunetra, who is a popular face on television and in theatre circles.
Recently, fans celebrated Om’s 25 years and several fans learned through social-media conversations that Sunetra was the voice of lead actor Prema. She has delivered lines in many of Prema’s films.
“Often, actors don’t know who is dubbing for them. When I bump into them at events, I tell them and they happily acknowledge it,” says Deepa Bhaskar, who has dubbed for over 500 films. She delivered Ramya’s lines in a number of films. In fact, she made her debut along with Ramya in Abhi. “Mungaru Male series is my favourite. There is so much emotion in that film,” says Deepa. Tone is one just aspect of the process. “Some actors mouth ABCD as they can’t pronounce all the words. Timing lines in such instances is a big challenge,” says Keerthi Anantharam.
Radhika Kumaraswamy is one of her favourite stars. “Her films have many sentimental dialogues and a lot of crying. I usually do the main parts first, keeping the crying bit for the end. This is because I get so tired after the main sections that the crying bit comes out more naturally,” says Keerthi. “I also enjoyed dubbing for Parvathy’s character in Milana. The character was so joyful.”
Singer-turned-voice artist Sparsha RK is glad to be a part of the small but talented community. “To match one’s voice to an actor’s and her expressions is challenging and fun. For my debut, Ananthu vs Nusrath, I had to learn Hindi for some dialogues,” she says.
With the Unlock 1.0 phase kicking in, post-production work has resumed and artists are slowly returning to studios. For years, the Kannada Film Industry (KFI) protested dubbing of movies made in other languages into Kannada. The opposition seems to have petered out as many movies and shows are dubbed and released on streaming platforms. This might open a new door for voice-over professionals. But there are challenges in the line of work. Proportionate pay is a major concern. “Filmmakers spend a lot on production, but when it comes to post-production, where we come into the picture, they always try to negotiate, citing budget constraints,” says Sunetra.
Dubbing for a three-hour film takes anywhere between eight to 12 hours. The pay ranges between Rs 2,500 and Rs 50,000, depending on the filmmaker and production house. “There are instances where we are paid less than what producers spend on pizza parties for the stars,” says another voice artist.
With technology, things are getting tougher for the professionals. “Voice modulation is not a big issue now, so producers are ready to hire anybody who is prepared to do it for less money. They use software to make tweaks,” says Sunetra.
K Shivaram Karanth, a giant of literary and theatre circles, would recognise an actor’s talent based purely on the voice. He would pay attention to the dialogue delivery with his eyes shut and choose actors for his plays. “Earlier, we used to have awards for dubbing artists. That has stopped. It will be very encouraging if the industry brings the event back,” says Deepa.