Actor Ali Fazal, who recently became the voice artist for the Hindi dub of the popular anime series Solo Leveling, calls the opportunity and experience “interesting”. “I have to thank my manager for bringing this to me. I had a very interesting time when I had just started to get into the world of anime. So, this opportunity presented itself when I once showed interest in anime in one of our conversations. It’s a really really cool show to be a part of. We as Indians are big consumers of anime and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to enter this interesting world,” he shares.
Despite the challenges of dubbing in a different language, the 37-year-old understands the importance of carefully mapping out syllables to ensure translations make sense and resonate with the massive international fan base of the show. “These characters are lovable and likeable, so there had to be something of that sort in the texture of the voice, no matter what the language you dub it in. Somewhere it has to sync with the spine of the show,” he notes.
To prepare for the new feather on his hat, the actor “researched” and “read up” on characters. “I did a bit of research and read up on the buildup of the characters, it’s arcs through the entire show, and their origin, just to understand how the delivery must make a difference. Situation delivery is one thing but if you don’t know your arc, it becomes hard to identify actions within context,” Fazal tells us.
The Khufiya actor sees his involvement in the anime as an opportunity to connect with a larger audience. He expresses, “I can only hope that my involvement brings in a larger base. I think voice is a large part of the delivery, the thing that takes the image to the audience and presents itself. And, I feel that a lot of people have connected with me over the years and I am very grateful that Solo Leveling came my way. There is already a big fan base, if it becomes bigger, why not?”
{{/usCountry}}The Khufiya actor sees his involvement in the anime as an opportunity to connect with a larger audience. He expresses, “I can only hope that my involvement brings in a larger base. I think voice is a large part of the delivery, the thing that takes the image to the audience and presents itself. And, I feel that a lot of people have connected with me over the years and I am very grateful that Solo Leveling came my way. There is already a big fan base, if it becomes bigger, why not?”
{{/usCountry}}Despite a busy schedule both inside and outside India, Fazal is enthusiastic about his venture into the world of anime. “For me, nothing is side by side. Anime is already a huge industry. As a production, we are already dabbling into animation. I think it is a great addition to my life and I genuinely would love to explore more anime in the future. It is definitely not a side hustle, it will take up a lot of time if I do go into that or if the opportunity presents itself,” he wraps up.