Parvathy Thiruvothu recalls dubbing for Kareena in Daayra: 'I felt like being chosen by the queen'

Kareena Kapoor Khan in ‘Daayra’; (right) Parvathy Thiruvothu. Pics/Instagram, Youtube, Yogen Shah

Yes! That, Parvathy Thiruvothu knew would be her answer, if Meghna Gulzar ever approached her for a project. Sure enough, when she received a call from the filmmaker, the actor jumped off her seat, ready to give her nod. But the minute Thiruvothu heard that Gulzar wanted her to dub for Kareena Kapoor Khan for the Malayalam version of Daayra, she was surprised. "I was spellbound because this offer came from nowhere," smiled the actor.

Parvathy Thiruvothu's Malayalam movie ‘Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar' released on September 11

According to Thiruvothu, dubbing for oneself is challenging. So, to dub for Kapoor's Ajooni Kohli - an officer heading a Special Investigation Team that is probing Prithviraj Sukumaran's character's handling of a case in Daayra - would be more daunting. "We may never be able to bring the same voice and texture that we shot with on that day. Many things affect our voice, tenor, and timbre, from the temperature that day to what we ate. It's almost like you're mimicking yourself when you're dubbing. With Kareena, it was a different ballgame. She has owned, chewed, and spat out this magnificent character," she said.

‘Daayra' marks director Meghna Gulzar's first collaboration with actors Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran

So, when the actor met Gulzar, she asked what the filmmaker wanted from her voice. The director's response only made her more excited about the process. "When I asked Meghna, she said, ‘This is it. Your voice, this is perfect.' It felt like being chosen by the queen, like the diamond of the season. I asked her, ‘Do I have to try to mimic Kareena or do anything?' She said, ‘No. What Kareena has done is perfection, now you take it ahead'," recalled Thiruvothu.