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Meet Ketan Kavva, the voice actor who has dubbed in Hindi as Michael Jackson in the King of Pop's biopic | Interview
In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, the voice artiste opens up about his journey in the industry and the many adventures of taking on new characters.
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Ketan Kavva has been a voice actor since he was 15! The actor recently dubbed in Hindi for the biopic Michael, based on the life of Michael Jackson. The film went onto become the first biopic to surpass $1 billion at the box office worldwide. He voiced for Jaafar Jackson, an opportunity as interesting as it is challenging. In a free-flowing interview with Hindustan Times, Ketan opened up about his journey as a voice artiste and the many challenges it brings. (Excerpts)
Giving voice to an icon like Michael Jackson was no small task, Ketan says, “I had to match the voice and pitch! I would credit Jaafar Jackson, because he acted so well. I had to make sure that not only my voice but also my nuances and emotions were in sync. It was a great experience.”
Acting as Michael Jackson
“I have to modulate my voice for various projects. I have been working for 15 years and how long can I work with my own voice. I had to change it for Michael too, which had to soft but firm, and I had to make sure that the sadness would be there in the voice. For me, every scene was a challenge… because there was a different aspect in each scene. I remember how in one scene, Michael is assembling his team where he is inspiring them and how he wants to play with new ideas… like that scene in the swimming pool… so there were many shades to the character,” he adds.
Ketan's journey as a voice artiste
Ketan has been seeing dubbing artists since he was a child. How? He tells us, “My two uncles were dubbing artists, and I got to know about this field through them. I have seen them going for dubbing, and when I had vacations I used to accompany them. I explored this world of voice acting, which is different from acting. Here there are no lights, no set, no camera. There is only a headphone and a microphone and a small room where we have to conjure up an entire atmosphere to act those emotions.”
He elaborates further. “As an actor, they know the whole story. But when I am performing we are only given one scene and we do not even know most times that what will happen next. So every scene is a challenge. We have to audition, then get to the role, and then get rid of that character to play another character. Not every film is given to us to see before release… we only get the scene. Each voice actor gets his scene only. The director helps us with the character's arc of course, but after that it is the voice actor takes it forward.”
He gives an example of a recent experience, and shares, “I remember dubbing for a part in Prabhas' Kalki 2898 AD at the last minute. I got the call for audition 15 days before release! It was for the character of Luke. Then I got selected and finished dubbing in six hours! So yes, there are times when things happen so suddenly. There have been several Hollywood films which I have dubbed where I have not even seen the full scene, and only half the character and the rest of the frame is blurred. There are security reasons, so it does not get leaked… so there are certain measures taken before release.”
Ketan goes on, “I started dubbing when I was in my first year of college. My uncle is into dubbing, and I started off with his help. Initially I would not reveal my last name… in the hope that if I did bad then I must not let him down. I gave several auditions and got to play several interesting characters. I played Robin in Teen Titans Go!, Kyle Hakim in Beyblade for years… which were liked a lot. I also tried to dub in animal voices for several shows. Like Sharkdog in Netflix! As a result, I have to constantly keep my voice in check, maintain it and I keep on exploring my voice in different genres.”
‘Voice actors should also get some recognition for their work’
After so many years in the industry, what change does he want to see, if any? Ketan adds, “When I started doing dubbing, to what I see now, a lot of change has come to an industry where we are all connected by a small group of people. If there is any change that should come, it is the fact that voice actors should also get some recognition for their work. There are so many award shows for actors, creators, and a category can be created for voice actors too. They must not remain behind the camera only. They also work hard, and it is very difficult. They must get some recognition, so that people can also see their work.”
"I feel we are very lucky when it comes to dubbing. Earlier, the dubbing was so different where many artists would have to dub at once and for a length. OTT has helped dubbing and voice artists, which has helped us get better opportunities, and as an actor we also get the chance to grow. As an artist, we grow every day. Every day is a new challenge. I do not know what character I will get now, and I have to give my 100%. That is my work," he concludes.
