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Starry dubbing game to get viewers for Hollywood films
Samarth Goyal
There’s no denying the fact that Lucky Ali’s music is one of the very few things in this world that can brighten up one’s gloomy mood in an instant. A reason for that could be that the voice behind those soulful renditions has “too much conscience”, to sing songs which are only created for a commercial purpose. He is someone who, in spite of not releasing an album for nine years, only agreed to work on the album Lemalla with Israeli rocker Eliezer Cohen Botzer, because he could feel “a connect” with him.
“I don’t do music which everyone sort of agrees with. For instance, for me, love is liberating and it can never be sad. A lot of these songs that you listen to are so sad, but I don’t think love can lead to unhappiness. So I create music which does not cater to everyone’s thought process, it caters to mine,” he says with a big smile on his face.
This sense of self-worth is not new. Despite being the son of late actor Mehmood, and the nephew of late actor Meena Kumari— two of the biggest stars of commercial Hindi cinema— Lucky was drawn towards the “alternative” film space . “I started assisting Shyam babu (Shyam Benegal, filmmaker), with his work. One day, I just walked into his office in Mumbai and asked him if he could cast me in his movie. He asked me to come back in a week, and I got Trikaal (1985),” says The Sur: The Melody of Life (2002) actor.
However, contrary to popular belief, despite being a star kid, Lucky wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms by those in the industry. Reason? His father. Lucky felt the wrath of all those people who had worked with his dad, and were “very afraid” of him, was projected on him. “They took it out all on me. They were like
Hollywood films continue to vie for a bigger share of pie at the Indian box office. In a bid to attract more eyeballs, they are roping Bollywood biggies such as Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to lend a desi touch in the dubbed versions.
The effort is only getting more personalised, with region-specific stars dubbing for projects in different languages, and actors also being voice cast with their children or siblings in sync with the onscreen relationships. Sample Priyanka and her cousin Parineeti Chopra as sisters Elsa and Anna in Frozen 2; Shruti Haasan and Divya Darshini for the film’s Tamil version; Aishwarya as Maleficent in Maleficent 2; Shah Rukh and son Aryan Khan as father-son duo Mufasa and Simba in The Lion King, Rana Daggubati as Thanos in the Telugu version of Avengers: Endgame, and Sanya Malhotra and Siddhant Chaturvedi as Molly and Henry for ‘what do you do?’ Are you an actor? Are you a singer? Why do you want to do a role in English and things like that. So I wasn’t enjoying cinema,” says the Kaante (2002) actor.
So Lucky ran away to work on an oil rig, off the coast of Puduchuerry. When he was not doing the “illegal job of painting the inside of the oil tanks”, he used to play the “guitar on the helipad”. “That was the time I realised I wanted to do this. Not being on the oil rig (laughs), but music. I really loved that feeling and being in that space, and then I think that was it,” he says.
Unlike those who want a career in showbiz, the Safarnama (Tamasha; 2015) singer rejected Mumbai and chose the quiet life on a farm in Bengaluru. And there is an emotional reason. “Mumbai reminds me of my mother. I was born there and I love the city. But ever since my mother died, I just get reminded of her when I am there,” he shares.
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Men in Black: International (MIB).
Why rope in such names? The idea is to make the audience feel “it has been specially curated for them in a language they understand and relate to”, says Bikram Duggal, head of studio entertainment at Disney India, the studio behind films such as Frozen 2, The Lion King and Maleficent 2.
Having home-grown stars also helps in better film promotions. “Most Indian actors have huge social media following, and by dubbing for a film, those who have lent their voice for the film, also aggressively promote it on their social media platforms. The Lion King is a recent example wherein SRK and Aryan not only enhanced the film’s marketing profile, but also added an excellent new marketing peg with SRK working with his son again,” says Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures.
Does having a star onboard help? Duggal feels so. He says that the desi touch spikes the “viewership” of the Indian release. Where earlier the English and the dubbed versions had almost an equal viewership, now the ratio of audience watching English and dubbed version is almost 30:70, he says.
Agrees Vivek Krishnani, managing director, Sony Pictures Entertainment India, saying, “We saw a good 40 percent plus contribution from the Hindi MIB and Angry Birds 2.”
Meanwhile, actors are happy exploring the trend. While Sanya hopes she gets another opportunity, Parineeti says, “I was missing Mimi didi (Priyanka) while dubbing because I felt like I was seeing her and me on screen together… We always would talk about working together one day but we never got any opportunity till this happened.”
When actors are voice cast for dubs, the suitability of their voice and persona are kept in mind. “We got Kajol for Elastigirl in Incredibles 2 because we were looking at popular working mothers in their 30s and 40s,” explains Duggal. Gianchandani feels this is just the beginning, and the trend is set to grow. However, having a big star is no guarantee that it will work, says trade analyst Joginder Tuteja. He points out, “Maleficent didn’t do that well (at the box office).”
That was the time I realised I wanted to do this. Not being on the oil rig (laughs), but music. I really loved that feeling and being in that space.
LUCKY ALI SINGER