‘Dubbing is about the character, not the artist’

In fact, Aditi Rao Hydari wanted to dub for Kaatru Veliyidai but Mani Ratnam wasn’t for it because her Tamil had a slight accent. 

That’s where Krithika Nelson stepped in, to become Leela Abraham herself and lend her voice to this complex role. It was so well-appreciated, even by Aditi, that now she’s been signed on to dub for the gorgeous actress in her next film, Chek ka Chivantha Vaanam. 

We can safely say this talented youngster has become one of Mani Ratnam’s favourite dubbing artists but Krithika’s entry into this industry was quite unexpected, “It all started with Ko , I knew KV Anand because he was my neighbour. So when I got to know he was looking for a voice to suit Pia Bajpai, I asked him if I could try out, just as a joke. So I went for voice test,” she recalls. 

She eventually got selected in the test and post the film’s release, received praise for her performance. “I think my voice worked because they didn’t want a typical ‘dumb heroine’ voice but someone a little more fun,” she says. She began signing more films after this, but the turning point in her career was Kad al , feels Krithika. 

“Two people recommended to Mani Ratnam that I dub for Tulsi’s character. So while I was trying to get her innocent, childlike character right on one side, I was simultaneously dubbing for Sudha Chandran, who played a proper villi in Aadhi Bhagavan, on the other. The styles of the directors — Mani sir and Ameer 

sir — and characters were so different that it was like a multi-masterclass in dubbing!” 

At this stage, she learnt the golden lesson that just lending her voice to a heroine won’t suffice, “It’s never about who is playing a role, but the character itself. I understood that I need to ‘become’ a character to do a good job.” 

She also goes on to points out how audiences in Tamil Nadu don’t like a hero/heroine speaking Tamil with a weird accent, so she has to be on the top of her game. 

“Films like Chen nai Express can have bad Tamil and it’s all right, but in Kollywood, if a character speaking accented Tamil, he or she will come under the scanner. So I’m lucky that directors insist on working with dubbing artists like me, who can enunciate correctly!” she laughs.