Tracking The History Of Tamil Film Industry’s Dubbing Phenomenon For Actresses

Actors who do not speak Tamil, including Prakash Raj, Mammootty, and Mohanlal, are made to speak in their own voices in the cinema. No dubbing is being done. It is the distinctive voices that construct the identity and presence of actors. In the pre-1980 era, actresses voiced their characters themselves. B Saroja Devi’s voice is considered unique even today. Even today’s young generation can easily identify and relate to that voice. After 1980, the situation was completely reversed. The trend of using dubbing voice artists started to increase in the Tamil film industry. Mostly, actresses were given dubbing, but this was seen as unnecessary for actors. As per reports, Chiyaan Vikram only did background vocals in Prabhu Deva’s early films. Among the male protagonists, actor Mohan is said to be an exception. In all his movies, SN Surender did the background vocals.

On the other hand, it is said that the main reason for this is the introduction of actresses from other states, who do not know the language in the Tamil film industry. Actresses were given dubbing due to a lack of a suitable voice. The film industry made actors speak in their own voice, even though there were similar reasons.

Reports suggest an actor can still act as a protagonist no matter how many years pass by. The career life shelf of actresses is narrow. Because of this, actresses avoid re-recording as much as possible and spend more on acting. Actresses who know Tamil well, including Sneha, Nayanthara, and Trisha, are also using dubbing artists. They are forced to use dubbing voices, knowing that if they do so, they will lose their eligibility for international and national awards.

Tamil fans have lost the unique and unmistakable voice of actresses. Women’s voices on screen are cumulative. All are given similar voices. Women’s voices are deep and wide. Actresses are losing the independence of their voices. All the emotions in the voices of the actresses, including anger and temper tantrums, have been denied. Their voices are moulded to make them more likeable to the viewers.