Ketan Kavva has been a voice actor since the age of 15! The actor recently dubbed in Hindi for Michael Jackson’s biopic Michael. The film became the first biopic to cross the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. He raised his voice for Jafar Jackson, this opportunity is as interesting as it is challenging. In an independent interview with Hindustan Times, Ketan spoke candidly about his journey as a voice artist and the many challenges he faced in it. (Part)
Voicing an icon like Michael Jackson was no small task, says Ketan, “I had to match the voice and pitch! I have to give credit to Jafar Jackson, because he acted very 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 had to modify my voice for different projects. I have been working for 15 years and I can work with my voice for as long as I want. I also had to change it for Michael, who was soft but firm, and I had to make sure there was sadness in the voice. For me, every scene was a challenge… because each scene had a different aspect. I remember how in one scene, Michael is gathering his team where he is motivating them and how he wants to play with new ideas. It’s…like that scene in the swimming pool…so there were many shades to the character,” he added.
Ketan’s journey as a voice artist
Ketan has been watching dubbing artistes since childhood. How? He tells us, “My two uncles were dubbing artistes, and I got to know about this field through them. I have seen them go for dubbing, and I would go with them when I had holidays. I discovered this world of voice acting, which is different from acting. There are no lights, no set, no camera. There is just a headphone and a microphone and a small room where we have to create the entire environment to display those emotions.”
He explains further. “As an actor, they know the whole story. But when I am performing we are only given one scene and most of the times we don’t even know what will happen next. So every scene is a challenge. We have to audition, then get the role and then get rid of that character and play another character. Not every film is given to us to watch before the release… we only get the scene. Every voice actor only gets his scene. The director definitely helps us in the arc of the character. But then it’s the voice actor who takes it forward.”
He cites a recent experience, and shares, “I remember dubbing for a part in Prabhas’s ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ at the last minute. I got a call for the audition 15 days before the release! It was for the character of Luke. Then I got selected and completed the dubbing in six hours! So yes, sometimes things happen so suddenly. There have been many Hollywood films that I have dubbed, where I haven’t even seen the entire scene, and only Half is the character and the rest is for security reasons, so that it does not get leaked… hence some measures have been taken before the release.
Ketan adds, “I started dubbing when I was in my first year of college. My uncle is into dubbing, and I started with his help. I wouldn’t reveal my last name in the beginning… in the hope that I wouldn’t let him down if I did bad. I gave many auditions and got to play many interesting characters. I played Robin in Teen Titans Go! for years, Kai Hiwatari in Beyblade… which was very well received. I played in many shows. I also tried dubbing for animals like Sharkdog in Netflix! As a result, I have to constantly control my voice and keep exploring my voice in different genres.
‘Voice actors should also get some recognition for their work’
After so many years in the industry, what changes, if any, would he like to see? Ketan says, “When I started dubbing, what I see now is that there has been a lot of change in the industry, where we are all part of a community. If there should be any change, it is that voice actors should also get some recognition for their work. There are a lot of award shows for actors, creators, and a category can be created for voice actors as well. They should not just be behind the camera. They also work hard, and it is very difficult. They There should be some recognition, so that people can also see their work.
“When it comes to dubbing I think we are very lucky. Earlier, dubbing used to be so isolated that multiple artistes had to dub together and for long periods of time. OTT has helped dubbing and voice artistes, which has helped us get better opportunities, and as an actor we also get a chance to grow. As an artiste, we grow every day. Every day is a new challenge. I don’t know which character I will get now, and I will find my It’s my job to give 100%,” he concluded.