The voice artiste behind some of the most popular cartoons and children’s TV shows in India, will host a hands-on workshop for beginners in Mumbai
Sonal Kaushal in her studio. Pic courtesy/THE MOTORMOUTH
Growing up, this writer firmly believed that the Japanese spoke fluent Hindi in their everyday life. Doraemon, the adorable cat robot, had finished a crash course before taking screen, and Pikachu the Pokémon had somehow evolved to pick up our slang. Two decades after we had a rude awakening, we sat face to face, or at least ear to ear over a call with the woman who fuelled our innocent misconception. Sonal Kaushal, now in her 30s, reveals that she was only 13 years old when she voiced the character. We can cut her some slack.
Kaushal voiced the character Doraemon from the eponymous Japanese series. PIC COURTESY/DORAEMON ON YOUTUBE
“I would spend hours in the studio. I had kept my alter-ego under the wraps at school because I didn’t want the attention,” she recalls. That worked fine until her dad showed up one day to pick her up, and accidentally outed her. “The next day, the principal announced it during the morning assembly. My classmates were shocked,” she laughs. Next week, the artiste will host young aspirants like her at an exhaustive five-day workshop on the art form.
Bubbles from Powerpuff Girls. PIC COURTESY/CARTOON NETWORK ON YOUTUBE
Voice acting is no walk in the park, we learn. Right before our conversation, Kaushal has wrapped up an extensive recording from home. “Volume, modulation, and pitch are all key to my job. A quick introduction to these fundamentals should set a beginner on the right track. Fortunately, it’s a passion anyone can follow from home,” she points out. Fortunate, also for her three-year-old-daughter lounging on her lap during our conversation. “She doesn’t need to watch rhymes on the television. All the characters are inside me,” she quips.
Chota Bheem. PIC COURTESY/GREEN GOLD KIDS ON YOUTUBE
For instance, did you know that the popular character Bubbles is just one pitch modulation higher than Doraemon? We get a live demonstration from Kaushal that takes us down memory lane. Younger children might be delighted to know that just a tad lower than Doraemon, sits the pitch register for Chota Bheem. This peculiar skill set comes at a cost, though. “I miss sipping on kala khatta golas and coconut water. Unfortunately, they don’t pair well with a voice artiste’s vocal cords before a recording,” she reveals.
When the young artistes step into the studio under Kaushal’s wings, there’ll be one concern at the back of her mind. The unprecedented rise of artificial intelligence tools hasn’t done her industry any favours. “AI does a pretty good job in emulating voices. It’s a threat that cannot be negated. But at the end of the day, it’s the emotion behind the voice that strikes a chord with your audience,” she shares. As someone who believed that the Japanese spoke fluent Hindi at home, we can attest.
ON June 13 to 17
AT Malad West (location revealed on registration)
LOG ON TO @the_motormouth on Instagram
ENTRY Rs 9,999 (for five sessions)
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