Actor Shreyas Talpade is known for his versatile performances across Indian cinema, whether it is in front of the camera or even behind the microphone. The actor, who is known for bringing multiple iconic characters to screens, has also lent his voice to dub for various blockbusters, including Allu Arjun‘s ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’. He takes his place behind the mic once again to reprise his voice-actor role in the Hindi dubbed ‘Mufasa: The Lion King‘, the sequel to the 2019 hit ‘The Lion King’.
Opening up to ETimes about his experience dubbing for the Indian film and the Hollywood live-action, shared insights on the unique challenges that may arise while dubbing for an animal character as opposed to one like Pushpa Raj. He explains, “When you’re dubbing for a person, even in another language, you can see their face and emotions, which helps you understand the nuances. But here, it’s an animal—it’s bizarre.”
“In Sanjay Mishra‘s case with Pumbaa, it’s even more bizarre because the eyes are near his ears. How do you see emotions like that?” he asked while laughing out loud.The actor explained that he and the Indian voice actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Aryan KhanAbRam Khan and others rely heavily on the original English pilot track to grasp the intended emotions and dialogues. “We then try to express that in our own language in a way our audience can connect and relate to it. That’s the most challenging part.”
Besides watching animals talk and emote, ‘Mufasa’ also features some stunning animation that brings the Pride Lands in Africa to life. When asked for his comments about where Indian cinema stands in comparison with Hollywood in creating such realistic animations, the actor promptly replied, “It all comes down to budgets.”
“It’s not that we lack talent or manpower,” he said and added, “Indian animators are incredibly skilled, and for all you know, some of them might have worked on ‘Mufasa’ as well. But the kind of money Hollywood pours into projects like this is enormous, and that makes a huge difference.”
Shreyas emphasised the importance of both vision and financial backing, noting that even with great ideas, execution becomes difficult without sufficient resources. He, however, did acknowledge the progress Indian cinema has made in the animation field, saying, “We’ve come a long way from where we were, but there’s still a long way to go.”
“The journey we’ve made so far is significant, and with the right investments and support, there’s no limit to what we can achieve,” he concluded.
‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ will have a wide release in Indian cinemas on December 20 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Mufasa: The Lion King – Official Trailer