‘Why wasn’t I informed?’ Bhagyalakshmi questions lack of courtesy after her voice was replaced in ‘Thudarum’

Dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi has revealed that she had originally dubbed for actor Shobhana in the film ‘Thudarum’, only to find out later that her voice had been replaced at the last minute. The decision came after Shobhana insisted on dubbing her own lines and reportedly threatened to skip promotional activities if her request was not honoured.

Bhagyalakshmi completed the dubbing after receiving full payment, and learnt about the replacement only when she contacted producer Ranjith about the film’s delayed release. In an interaction, Bhagyalakshmi also told Manorama Online that her dubbed voice was retained only in the climax scene.

Bhagyalakshmi speaks:
“It was producer Ranjith who called me for the movie. At that time, I asked him whether Shobhana wouldn’t prefer to dub in her own voice, considering her character was Tamil. However, I was told that it was a collective decision to call me. I was told, ‘Chechi (sister) should come and do it.’ Once I arrived in Kochi and watched a couple of reels from the movie, I felt it was a Tamil woman speaking Malayalam.

“I once again told them it would be better if Shobhana herself dubbed for the character. Director Tharun Moorthy and screenplay writer Sunil were present at the time. They clarified that there had been a discussion about Shobhana doing the dubbing herself and that I was called following a decision to have me lend voice for the character.

“I completed the dubbing for the entire movie in a single day. The climax was intense, involving a lot of screaming. Before leaving, I asked them to contact me if any corrections were needed. When the film didn’t release even after a month, I called producer Ranjith. I didn’t have director Tharun Moorthy’s number. When contacted, screenplay writer Sunil even said that my dubbing was excellent. I wondered whether the delay in release was due to issues related to ‘Empuran’.

“While explaining the reasons for the delay, Ranjith also told me this: ‘Chechi, I didn’t know how to tell you, which is why I didn’t call. It’s hard to say this. Shobhana was very insistent. She wanted to dub her own lines and said she wouldn’t participate in promotions otherwise.’ I told him I never asked for her to be replaced.

“I said that it was inappropriate to exclude my voice without informing me. I have no objection to having my voice replaced, but informing me is a basic courtesy, especially since I didn’t approach them requesting to dub for the movie. I added one more thing: I will not take it lightly if my voice has been used anywhere.

“That voice note is still saved on my mobile phone. I had expected the director or the screenplay writer of the movie to call me before the release. But that didn’t happen. I called Sunil and told him that what had been done was wrong. ‘I understand that,’ was Sunil’s response.

“I watched the movie in the theatre. I have been dubbing for Shobhana for years and many others have done so as well. When I lend her my voice, I don’t follow the way she delivers the dialogue. I follow the modulation of Urvashi and Revathy. But I don’t do that for Shobhana, as I always felt something was off. I use my own style.

“When I saw the movie, I felt that Shobhana had used the same modulation I had used while dubbing. I understood that she dubbed after listening to my version. There’s a screaming scene in the film’s climax where they’ve used my original voice. The dialogues, however, have been delivered by her. I have no issue with her dubbing. All I’m asking is, why couldn’t they just inform me?

“I didn’t want to create an issue at the time of the release. After all, this is an industry I’ve been part of for all these years. But I was determined to expose the matter at some point, and I’ve done that now. Shobhana may not feel any sense of commitment towards me, but that’s not the case with Tharun Moorthy. I’ve been part of this industry for the last 50 years. Shouldn’t I be shown the courtesy of being informed when my voice was being replaced? If I had been told, I wouldn’t have had any issue.

“There have been instances of my dubbed voice being replaced before, but I was informed in those cases. I had no problem with that. Yes, I was paid. I quoted my fee, and Ranjith credited the amount to my account. But the responsibility of a film rests with its director. What upsets me is when he says in interviews that he always wanted Shobhana to dub. Why is he lying? That’s what provokes me. What’s the problem in admitting that Bhagyalakshmi had dubbed for the movie, but it was replaced when Shobhana insisted?

“Is this an insult because dubbing artists are being taken lightly? Next time, if someone calls me to dub for Shobhana, I will be cautious. Because what guarantee is there that my voice won’t be replaced after dubbing, like this? No one even called me after I revealed these things. That’s because they know what I’m saying is true. They can confront me only if I’m lying. Then they could ask, ‘Chechi, why are you making things up?’

“I repeat: I’m not upset about being replaced, but about the fact that I wasn’t informed when it happened after I had already dubbed. That is the greatest insult to an artist. This is not my experience alone. Many remain silent out of fear that speaking up may affect their opportunities in the industry. This should not happen again. When you use an artist to dub and then replace their work at will, the basic courtesy of informing them should also be shown.

“We are often asked which project we are currently working on. While working on ‘Thudarum’, I mentioned it at many places. As soon as ‘Thudarum’ was announced, people would say to me, ‘Chechi, Shobhana is back. You can dub for her again.’ I used to reply that I wasn’t sure; times have changed, and so has technology. The way movies are experienced has also evolved. So, it is no longer necessary to use a dubbing artist.

“Even after dubbing for that movie, I used to tell people that ‘Thudarum’ was my new project. But when the movie was released, they heard Shobhana’s own voice. That gave the impression that I had been lying. I felt tense when I was called to dub for the movie ‘Hridayapoorvam’. When I went to dub for it, I felt that Sangeetha had beautifully delivered the dialogues. After all, she was portraying a character settled in Pune, so there was no issue even if the dialogues were not delivered in native Malayalam.

“I was really tense while dubbing for that movie. I was afraid of being humiliated again by having my voice replaced after dubbing. If the artists involved are good, Satyettan usually tells me, ‘Bagi, just follow the way they deliver.’ I’ve been asked to follow the modulation of artists like Urvashi and Saundarya, and he has appreciated it, saying it sounded good. I remained tense even after returning home from the dubbing session. I was worried that my voice might be replaced. So, I called Anoop Satyan and shared my apprehensions. Anoop assured me that my voice would not be replaced. Yet, I called Satyettan.

“He said, ‘I wouldn’t have called Bhagyalakshmi if I had plans to change your voice later. And if it were to be changed, the artist would be informed in advance, and not after the entire dubbing was completed. Doesn’t Bhagyalakshmi know this after all these years?’ Why don’t people realise that such bitter experiences in a career deeply sadden us? People like Tharun Moorthy are new to the industry. They should understand how people feel deeply hurt.”