Behind the voice

KOCHI: Vaikippoyo Acharyaputra?’

Of all the euphoric moments that Kalki 2898 AD offered to its audience, this one dialogue is an exception. Besides the staging and visualization, the impact of this dialogue was heard very loudly in the cinemas. This one dialogue marks a monumental moment in Malayalam dubbing.

As Kalki sold out in cinemas, an English series, The youngwhich released on an OTT platform with a version dubbed in Malayalam, is making audiences laugh.

However, these two releases indicate a new phenomenon – the rise in demand and popularity of the Malayalam dubbing industry. And it all started with the release of the epic blockbuster Baahubali: The Beginning.

Not new

Films dubbed into Malayalam are nothing new. Before the era of pan-Indian films, there were films like Sankarabharanam (1980), Sagara Sangamam (1983), Geethanjali (1989) etc., which were dubbed into Malayalam from other Indian languages.

And in the 2000s, there was a new demand for popular dubbed films. “But back then, dialogues were translated literally. And Malayalam dialogues were never dubbed with the actor’s performance on screen,” says senior dubbing artist Shobi Thilakan, who has lent his voice to many heroes and villains.

Baahubali was the turning point, he adds. “The translation process became transcription.” While other films were about literally changing the language, here the process was translated with contextual understanding so as not to lose the soul.

“Almost five people were involved in every stage of the dubbing process – including dialogue writer Mankombu Gopalakrishnan, director SS Rajamouli’s assistant, sound engineers, dubbing artists, etc. Everything was done with utmost care,” he adds.

Then came the OTT phase and suddenly everything changed and the dubbing industry, which already had more work than in previous years, experienced a new boom.

The rise of OTTs

The post-pandemic OTT boom has led to content reaching and being accepted from different parts of the world, with many platforms starting to stream their content in regional languages.

“OTT platforms have now officially created the position of dubbing director. They take care of the entire dubbing process and manage it. Earlier, this was the job of the film director or his staff,” explains Shobi.

Sometimes the director also plays a subordinate role in dubbing, explains Roby Varghese Raj. “That was the case when Kannur Troop was dubbed into other languages,” says the director of the huge hit.

Although there were slight creative differences regarding the dubbing of his works, he mentioned that these days he rarely sees films in other languages ​​with poor Malayalam dubbing.

“However, dubbing in regional languages ​​will increase the visibility of films. This was the case with Kannur Troop which was well received by many non-Malayalis,” he says.

A large proportion of cinema audiences now prefer the original to the dubbed version, says Mahesh Kunjumon, who entered the industry as an impersonator. “However, dubbed versions are not rejected.”

According to Sreeja Ravi, a veteran dubbing artist and director, if the dubbing quality is poor, Malayalis would easily switch to the original version with English subtitles.

It is true; not many would opt for the Malayalam version of The young or KGF 2 – which polarised viewers and was ridiculed by some for its translations.

“The main problem arises with literal translations of the original work,” explains Sreeja.

“Inadequate supervision or lack of competent dubbing directors in the studio are also reasons for the drop in quality. There may be cases where artists dub without really understanding the language. In addition, restrictions on remuneration can affect an artist’s commitment and dedication to a project,” she says.

According to her, these significant flaws can be avoided by preserving the beauty of each language. However, when people see a few trolls and old, poor-quality dubbed films, they get the general impression that dubbed films are poorly made, she says. And that adds to the already noisy problem of lack of recognition.

But the artists point to another aspect that worries them: the lack of funds.

“OTT productions have very low budgets compared to cinema films, which has a huge impact on the quality,” says dubbing director Mufthash Maheen. This, he says, prevents many studios from hiring good artists.

According to him, the main expenses include the rent for the dubbing studio as well as the fees for dubbing directors, artists, copywriters, scriptwriters, etc.

OTTs will be the final selling point for most films as all other deals are already done in advance and hence the budget will be very low, explains Mufthash. “Hence the budget for theatrical release will be double or triple that of the OTT versions.”

However, none of this excuses poor dub quality and will come back to haunt the artist later. “If we compromise on quality due to budget constraints, it will come at the cost of my credibility,” explains Mufthash.

Sreeja recalls a recent experience when a team asked her to direct the dubbing of a huge hit in Malayalam. “I was shocked when they asked me not to care much about quality as the budget was low,” reveals Sreeja. “I told them that no matter how high the budget was, I would not compromise on quality.”

As a dubbing director, Sreeja says it is her utmost priority to offer artists fair compensation based on the value of their work.

“If the budget of a project does not match this principle, I do not take it on. With a reasonable budget, I could potentially hire up to 40 artists, while a lower budget may allow only 10 or 12, and only those who are willing to accept the reduced price. Insufficient funds mean fewer artists, which may result in a few people lending their voices to many characters. This underfunding also affects the ability to hire qualified scriptwriters and directors,” explains Sreeja.

Lack of recognition

Regardless of the limitations, the effort that voice actors have to put into their work is enormous, explain industry veterans.

This is not an easy task, especially when you have to dub from other languages ​​into Malayalam. “While it takes me a maximum of one day to dub a Malayalam film, it is different for other languages. It took me three days to Baahubali: The Beginningfour days for the continuation and about five for Arundhati”, Shobi remembers.

The success of a dubbed version helps the artists to become popular, while other efforts do not get any recognition or awards. “Often, artists involved in the dubbing process are not even mentioned in the credits,” says Mufthash, who is currently working on dubbing the upcoming film. Ajayante Randam Moshanam with Tovino Thomas in the lead role.

“There is no government recognition for dubbed films or the talented dubbing artists behind them,” laments Sreeja, the dubbing artist for films such as Gargi, Rocketry, Shyam Singha Roy and the Tamil versions of Paachuvum Athbuthavilakkum And Vaalatti.

Currently, artists get recognition when they promote themselves on social media, where there is a supportive community. “Fans recognize the work of voice artists by sharing clips and mentioning them, often revealing surprising information. Some enthusiasts compile collections of voices and characters, which is our only way of getting recognition.” But an award for the dubbing category will also help boost quality, says Sreeja.

And this word of mouth plays a role in the acceptance of dubbed versions, says voice actress and director Priya Lekshmi. She points to the resounding success of the Malayalam dubbing of Ponniyin Selvan Films as an example. The English action series Fallout, Hindi series like Dahaad, Farzi, the animated film Happy little Batman, etc., open to positive reactions, she says.

But official recognition will lift the spirits of artists, Mufthash chimes in. There could be practical difficulties in giving awards in this space as the original content is not a Malayalam product. “But the efforts and endeavours of people deserve formal recognition,” he says. After all, they are also artists who entertain many Malayalis in cinema halls, TV channels and streaming platforms.