How Bollywood, television stars are turning voice actors in the age of podcasts

When audiobook giant Audible marked its entry into the country in November 2018 it did so in the most filmyway possiblemdashThe bestselling nonfiction title Mafia Queens of Mumbai Stories of Women from the Ganglands which it chose to lead with in its Indian audiobook roster was recorded by actors Rajkummar Rao Radhika Apte and Kalki Koechlin It was in a way a sign of things to come Five years on audio platforms have started creating original fiction and podcast content keeping stars in mindActor Gajraj Rao decided to give podcasting a shot after Amit Doshi Head IVM PodcastsPratilipi shared his vision for Chitthiyaan a fiction anthology BAFTAnominated actor Adarsh Gourav recording for Desi Down Under an Audible original comingofage series also voiced by Prajakta Koli and Taaruk Raina Marvelrsquos Wastelanders StarLord which released in June sees Saif Ali Khan make his audio debut as superhero Peter QuillSince the beginning of this year Audible has launched a robust slate of original fiction titles helmed by some of the biggest names in the movie business In February the platform announced an association with Marvel Entertainment to bring a Hindi Audible series Marvelrsquos Wastelanders with a starstudded cast that includes Saif Ali Khan Kareena Kapoor Khan Jaideep Ahlawat Sharad Kelkar Masaba Gupta Prajakta Koli and Mithila Palkar ldquoFollowing this we dropped Social Distancing written by Chetan Bhagat and voiced by Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi Desi Down Under was another comingofage series voiced by Prajakta Koli Taaruk Raina and Adarsh Gourav that explores crossborder storytellingrdquo shares Karen Appathurai Wiggins VP and Head of Content APAC Audible in an email interviewSome of the other popular titles from the last few years include Kaali Awaazein by Amitabh Bachchan who incidentally started his career with the All India Radio The Sandman Act I in Hindi voiced by Tabu Vijay Varma Manoj Bajpayee Adarsh Gourav Kubbra Sait Sushant Divgikar Tillotama Shome and Neeraj Kabi Baby Doll starring Richa Chadha and Jaideep Ahlawat and Sasuraal Wonder Phool helmed by Sanya Malhotra and Varun SharmaSuchitra Pillai and Karen Appathurai WigginsFor an industry thatrsquos still nascent and growing adding actors to the mix has been good for being heard For instance Wiggins explains that in bringing a global franchise such as Marvel in Hindi and with a localised star cast the goal was to reach wider audiences ldquoSince we wanted to bring these stories in Hindi it became evident that we had to work with toptier talent Our aim was to ensure that the actors fully embody their respective characters and infuse their distinct personalities to bring these characters to life in a compelling wayrdquo she saysLate last month IVM Podcastsrsquo announced its firstever Hindi audio fiction anthology Chitthiyaan led by actor Gajraj Rao Rao plays Prasad Joshi who retires after serving in Indian Postal Services for 40 years A box of undelivered letters that he receives from the post office which coincides with his sonrsquos decision to switch careers sets Joshi on a completely different path ldquoIrsquove been an avid podcast listener for three to four years my interest actually grew during the COVID19 pandemicrdquo shares the actorRohan Nayak cofounder Pocket FMDespite this Rao admits being reluctant when approached for Chitthiyaan ldquoIt was an entirely uncharted territory for me It felt like stepping into a new realmrdquo he says Amit Doshi Head IVM PodcastsPratilipi and the showrsquos director Safura Ubaid eased him into the process ldquoTheir passion and enthusiasm were contagious and I felt compelled to take the leaprdquoThere were different challenges ldquoPodcasting and traditional filmmaking are distinct in several waysrdquo says Rao ldquoIn podcasting the script takes centrestage The responsibility of conveying the narrative falls heavily on the words and sound design as there are no visuals to rely upon Itrsquos a medium that demands a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling through the auditory sensesGaurav Chopra has been dubbing in Hindi for the Avengers character Thor which helped him segue into the audio fiction space right Aahana Kumra says that in lending onersquos voice for audio fiction the focus shifts from obsessing about how you look on camera to how you sound on the microphone PicsGetty ImagesldquoI came to realise the intricacies involved in maintaining the audiencersquos engagement without visual aids Itrsquos about finding that delicate balance between delivering a compelling story while ensuring that the content remains intellectually stimulatingrdquoDoshi says IVM has always ldquobelieved in the power of audio fictionrdquo If the podcasting network took this long it was because ldquowe were looking for the right project with the right script and the right cast Everything came together beautifully for this projectrdquo An actor like Rao helming their fiction debut Doshi says has given them the muchneeded boost ldquoGajraj is phenomenal His performance was incredible Working with talent like that forced our entire team to raise the barrdquoMantra Mugdh actor director and producerFor actors Aahana Kumra and Gaurav Chopra whorsquove voiced Hindi thriller podcasts I Hear You Spotify and Murder Storytel respectively it was curiosity about the medium that lured them ldquoIt was quite overwhelmingrdquo confesses Kumra ldquoI had never acted in front of a mic This is nothing like dubbing But when I started I genuinely started enjoying itrdquo As an actor Kumra says good work is usually hard to come by ldquoPodcast fiction has allowed me to discover different opportunitiesrdquo It also takes away from the obsession of how you look on camera ldquoFor a change I focused on how I soundedrdquo she says Chopra who is the official Hindi voice for Thor from the Avengers says the opportunity came naturally because of his other audio work ldquoI tend to be a bit choosy about audio projectsrdquo he says over a phone call ldquoItrsquos something I do on the side but still an extension of what I do as an actor I still need to act when I am trying to recreate something for the audio mediumhellip say a scene where I am jumping or lifting something heavy Because the medium is growing itrsquos also interestingrdquoActor model anchor Suchitra Pillai who was part of the Audible Hindi Original Chillahat a story about a tragically orphaned heiress shares this sentiment ldquoYes I definitely see myself exploring the medium in the futurerdquo She recalls playing Sita in BBC Radio 4rsquos The Ramayana 1994 a 14part series ldquoTo be able to emote tell a story and keep listeners glued to their headphones helps actors push their craftrdquo she says ldquoand thatrsquos why it makes it more interesting Itrsquos about getting things across just with your voicerdquo With more people today turning to podcasting she feels this is a good time for actors to experiment in the space ldquoFor any artiste especially an audio artiste the only way is up right nowrdquo But podcasting is not everyonersquos cup of tea feels actordirector Mantra Mugdh who runs the production house MantraMugdh and has collaborated on several audio podcastsmdashhe is also artistic director of Marvelrsquos Wastelanders While he has noticed previously sceptical actors taking to the medium audio OTT requires a bit of unlearning and learning ldquoThis is a blind manrsquos televisionrdquo he says ldquoYour voice paints pictures on the canvas of the listenersrsquo minds Most actors use multiple tools to convey their emotions and the majority of those are related to the body In audio dramas all of these are useless The eyes the physique the clothes the style the makeupmdashall go out of the window All you have is your voice And thatrsquos where the magic lies Of course it is an added advantage if you are a celebrity People might visit your show following a star but they will stay only if the story is gripping enough and the performances are honestrdquoWhile many believe that the audio market is currently saturated Wiggins points to a FICCIEY study Audio OTT market size forecast in India FY 20212030 which ldquostates that the market is expected to grow up to 11 billion in the next four years and up to 25 billion by the end of the financial year 2030rdquoldquoIn 2022 we saw a 39 per cent increase in paid member listening hours for our service in India and exponential growth in our free tierrdquo he says ldquoGiven the popularity of our titles we are bullish that this will continue The recent success of our titles such as Marvelrsquos Wastelanders StarLord stands testament to this upward trajectoryhellip We anticipate this to continue as people increasingly take to audiofirst services for entertainment relaxationrdquoRohan Nayak coFounder of Pocket FM a global audio series platform references a survey conducted among 9616 Internet users in India ldquoIt unveiled some intriguing trends in audio content consumption preferencesrdquo he shares over email ldquoThe dominant format turned out to be audio series with 41 per cent of respondents indicating a preference for it Music came in a close second at 29 per cent while audiobooks and podcasts were favoured by 20 per cent and 10 per cent respectivelyrdquoRising screen fatigue he says has contributed to its popularity ldquoThe audio series concept is in an experimental phase and we anticipate a wave of innovations in the near futurerdquo At present Pocket FM has more than 15 series that have garnered over 100 million plays with another 1520 series surpassing 50 million plays Nayak says that instead of cherrypicking from the existing bundle of movie actors who are also stellar voice artistes Pocket FM has been looking at bringing new talent to the fore ldquoAt the heart of our thriving audio series library is our vibrant creator community which comprises both talented writers and voice actorsrdquo he says ldquoOur mission is clear To identify nurture and elevate new artistes and writers transforming them into audio celebrities in their own rightrdquoMugdh doesnrsquot feel that actors are stealing jobs away from existing voice artistes What he feels it will do is make the space more competitive and democratic ldquoVoice artistes are industry veterans and visual actors will have to strive to bring out their lsquosoundrsquo performance to find a way into the listenersrsquo hearts through their ears and carve out their place Mind you the voice industry has a massive following and listeners are accustomed to a certain level of performance If you fall short be ready for criticismrdquoWith inputs by Hiren Kotwani