Jab Mani Ratnam Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) The people brought back to the cinema theater post-pandemic, the exhibitions complained of low sound. Sound designer Anand Krishnamurthy, who received a national award for the film, says, “When we sent a mix [at 5.8 instead of the normal 7, done closer to Hollywood’s subtler style, by Los Angeles-based sound recording mixer Craig Mann of Whiplash fame]He said that it looked like a Hollywood film and not Tamil. He claimed that it was not enough – ‘There was no harsh dialogue [which is more of a cultural expectation mismatch]’When we asked them to play at the levels that they would do a Hollywood film, they were reluctant. [Because] In a local film, they expect a sharper dialogue to compensate for the tweeter of the poor center, which is due to a combination of rigid mix and poor maintenance from the past. ,
When he asked theaters to play Punish: I At the level of a Hollywood film, as the intention by the sound mixer, he refused because “it is a Tamil film with Tamil actors”. “When theaters get a local film, they need to listen to deformation [the physical alteration of a sound wave, something that many South India films do]This is a cultural block, “He says. When Krishnamurthy went to see Punish: I In the Devi Theater in Chennai, he was very happy with it, but says, overall “Punish: I Afflicte due to its sound mixture [at 5.8] Was not hard and loud. with Purch: II [2023, mixed at 5.5]We hit the sweet place – we did not compromise on dynamics, but overall mixed a touch loud. And we did not face a lot of complaints from the exhibitors. ,
Anand Krishnamurthy, National Award winner Sound Designer of Ponyin Selvan: I. , Photo Credit: Courtesy Anand Krishnamurthy
In general, Indian film Mix is much more loud than Western films, La-based Kunal Rajan, Atallie’s first film shares sound designers of Hindi film Hindi film. young (2023), starring Shahrukh Khan. “The first reason is cultural. We, Indians, are generally a loud people and are often more animated than Europe or America,” they say. “This energy naturally reflects our story tell and in return, our sound design. The second reason is technical. In the last few decades, there has been a ‘loudness war’ among the creators and exhibitors. Theaters have rejected levels for the safety of their speakers; sound designers increase the levels on the mixture in return.
To blame large -scale actionrs?
We have traveled a long way from the early sound days of Steven Spielberg. Jurassic Park (1993). Krishnamurthy, who made his film actor debut as a child actor in Mani Ratnam Anjali (1990), being “blowing” from the voice of Jurassic Park In the old Satyam cinema in Chennai (which is now PVR Satyam). “It was something new; more than the film scenes, its dinosaurs had an impact on the audience due to their sound design. It was really scary at that time, as we were developing 5.1 surround sound speakers from a mono stereo (single source speaker), and now, Dolby ATMOS (a three-dimensional model/experience),” Designer Tapas Nayak says (Super Deluxe, Kumblengi Nights,
Tapas Nayak, Sound designer and super deluxe of Kumblengi Nights. , Photo Credit: Courtesy IMDB
Dolby Atmos, which is now an industry standard, is equipped in over 1,000 cinemas across India. ATMOS 7 determines the playback level limit, which, “unfortunately, slowly coming down [in theatre projection] Because the materials going from the studio are loud ”, Nayak says. Today, more large -scale actionrs are being made in the country, such as one Jat (Viewers complained about its loud, hasty, distracted background score) or Animal In Bollywood, along with Southern films – is often considered among loud mix in Indian cinema. In recent times, KGF: 2 (Kannada) and Kanguwa (Tamil) Both were criticized for being “very loud”. Even Hindi dubies are loud for these films. Not only in India, Krishnamurthy says, also in the US, plays Tamil/Telugu films at the lower level. It is being said that Christopher Nolan Oppenheimer (2024) It is also loud, but those sections are excluded to give a vengeance to the ears of the audience. “Nolan really pushes the Soundtrack up to the audience to be engaged in all his films. But the content loudly [in Hollywood films] Will be punctured along the path of silence or dialogues; Unfortunately, our soundtracks are constantly loud without any silence, and it becomes a problem ”, says the hero.
Says Krishnamurthy, “The film Mix is standardized, but if a theater is not calibrated, the numbers do not mean too much. For example, playing on level 6 will make different sounds in different rooms/halls.” While Dolby Atomos is a technology upgradation, it “does not guarantee the calibration and maintenance or playback level as it is still in the hands of individual theaters”.
But theaters do not have an incentive to do this if the mix is inconsistent and progressively loud. “If the mixture is too hot, a properly calibrated set of speakers will blow up. Therefore, for the first show, the projections play it safe and less, and take it when they learn that the mixture is safe to play loudly. But most movies do not last long in theaters.”
Compensation
Unlike Hollywood films, which are usually played at the right sound levels because the owners of the theater know that their speakers will not be damaged, when the exhibitions receive the Kannada, Telugu or Tamil film mix, they dial to the sound. “Most of our films are now Massey Hero films. When the audience enters the hero every time, they are happy on her punch lines. [The studios] Crank the volume and make up for shouting, ”Krishnamurthy noted.
Atley’s jawan’s sound designer, Hollywood -based Kunal Rajan has acted in Tamil, Bollywood and Hollywood films. , Photo Credit: Courtesy Kunal Rajan
Rajan recalls that the day 1 receives various complaints youngReleased from two separate Mumbai theaters, although Dolby is not equipped with Atmos. “One stated that the dialogue was very low, while music and influences were fine. Another claimed that they could only listen to the dialogue, but the music and the effects looked less. Both experiences were completely opposite and, as a sound designer, as a sound designer, I did not know how to react,” he said.
“Many multiplexes are not properly calibrated properly, this experience is better in suburban single-screen theaters, which tries to be honest for the mixture,” says Nayak. For example, Sound designer Nithin Leukos (Sandeep and Pinky absconding, thithiAnd upcoming Manoj Bajpayee-Starrer Flood – The Fable) A Mumbai Cinepolis is being closed in theater, which reduced the sound Tambabad (2018) and they had to request to increase it; “As a theater chain in India, Cinepolis are the weakest in terms of sound. They play at a very low level as an international standard. And their theaters have a sound leaked,” they say. On the other hand, he has a good experience of watching films on his hometown Wayanad on a dolby atomos-equipped single screen. The irony is that since his film Fireless Participated with Cinepolis, Leukos has requested the film’s distributor with his director Ram Reddy to ask theater technicians on Friday (September 12) for a sound check.
Nithin Lukose, Sound Designer of the upcoming Ram Reddy film Jugnuma – The Fail. , Photo Credit: Etiquette Nithin Leukos
According to a global point (POI) data, there are about 1,941 film theater in Tamil Nadu by August 2025. Film editor is a Srikar Prasad (Ponniyin Selvan, The Goat Jeevan, Devra) It is impossible to do sound tests in all theaters, say. “We probably on a multiplex, will examine it like a PVR,” they say. Krishnamurathi says, which single screen has said in an attempt to calibrate, it is Krishnavani in TT city of Chennai.
Therefore, as a quick fix, filmmakers must check the sound on a theater pre-system, in the long term, need to cooperate more between filmmakers and exhibitions. As the theater chain expands, theater staff/technicians need to be trained in technology and vocabulary, require periodic calibration checks, and “films should be mixed wisely. It is possible that I am possible to mix it rigid and action-hive films. The theater, I am also convicted in which I am convicted,” I am also convicted. “