‘Dubbing and singing give me the most happiness’

Hers is the mellifluous voice that actress Priyamani assumes as Padmashri in the movie ‘Pranchiyettan and the Saint’ or Anne Augustine in the title role in ‘Elsamma enna Aankutty’. Hers is the crisp Malayalam voice that has been greeting commuters of Kochi Metro since 2017. And for the faithful, hers is the melodious voice in many Christian hymns that moves them to greater piety and joy. Meet Vimmy Mariam George, 147 films old in the Mollywood dubbing arena, who had a pioneering stint as radio jockey in the UAE till 2005 and is a veteran of stage performances in devotional Christian songs.

In an interview given to Roshin George in the UAE, the award-winning dubbing artist spoke from her Bangalore residence about her career as a singer and dubbing artist spanning over three decades. She came across as a down-to-earth and modest person unaffected by the success of her many voices in Malayalam movies and the glamour of the film world.

Thank you for sparing some time off your busy schedule. How is work during the COVID-19 pandemic?

There is not much dubbing happening because of the pandemic. Moreover, since my work is in the Malayalam film industry, the dubbing happens in studios in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram; right now, travel is not feasible.

FM radio channels are the lifeline of the Indian expat in the Gulf, and radio jockeys are like family conversing with you as you drive, cook, exercise or feel nostalgic. How was the experience of working as a radio jockey in Dubai? Do you miss life in the UAE?

I worked as an RJ for HUM FM 106.2 and UAQ 84 AM from 1998 to 2005. In fact, I was their first RJ in Malayalam. HUM stands for Hindi Urdu Malayalam and had programmes in all three, so I got 3-4 hours gap when the other two language programmes were airing. Since the RJ concept was new to me, the Pakistani RJs taught me how to interact with the audience; my strengths were voice modulation and the language fluency. The office was in Sharjah near the Al Hamra Theatre [Rolla] and I lived nearby.

I don’t miss that life as such, but I miss the working atmosphere there. Those days we had more old-style programmes based on written scripts. But now I feel the RJ language has become more colloquial.

Before radio, I concentrated on songs, then radio spots and TV ads. I used to do stage performances of Christian devotional songs mostly. We often came to the Gulf for stage performances and that is how I got the offer from the UAE FM channel. I had gone to the HUM radio station as a guest artist to do Onam promotional ads.

I returned to India after marriage; initially we lived in Bangalore and then moved to Kochi. That’s where my film dubbing career started. Later we shifted to Chennai and now we are in Bangalore.

Haven’t you tried film playback singing?

I feel one needs a grounding in classical music to enter playback singing. I had not gone to a music college or studied Hindustani or Carnatic music. I had grown up singing Christian devotional songs, and attended the Shruti School of Liturgical Music in Kottayam, [Kerala]. I started taking music lessons from the age of three. Since I had an affinity for singing, my parents arranged a music master to come home. Maybe I would have felt more confident about singing in films if I had attended a music college. But I was lucky to sing with Yesudas and SPB in stage performances.

How were you introduced to voice-over?

I had accompanied my little sister who was appearing in an ad to a studio, and when they heard I could sing they asked me to do a sample. That’s how it started.

You are an award-winning dubbing artiste in the Malayalam industry. How did you enter the film world, and through which film and actress? Which are your favourite performances?

The dubbing opportunity came as a blessing. Because just a chance is not enough. It should come like a puzzle falling into its place. I had gone to do the Coconut Board advertisement at Lal Media, Kochi. There was auditioning going on there for Khushboo’s role Padma in ‘Kaiyoppu’. They didn’t want the usual voices, so I got a chance to perform. The first movie I dubbed for fetched me a State award – which is why I call it a miracle.

‘Thirakkatha’, dedicated to late actress Srividya, gave me a big impact. In the first half, I essay the voice of a normal actress and in the second, of a sick, cancer-stricken person. I had to give two tones. I lost the [2008] State award for this by a small margin; many told me they expected an award for this after the announcement came.

These are my favourite works, along with that for Aparna Gopinath in ‘Munnariyippu’ and Kaniha in ‘Spirit’. One special experience I would like to mention was giving on-the-spot dubbing for Gracy Singh in ‘Loudspeaker’, directed by Jayaraj. I was able to do it live because it wasn’t a heroine-centric movie.

Different actresses require different voices according to their style and character they play. Do you modulate voice on the director’s instructions or on your own depending on the film dialogues?

I don’t mimic but the tone may change. If it has to be a matured voice, I give a tone different from what I would give for a bubbly character. In ‘Christian Brothers’, I dubbed for all female leads except Kavya Madhavan. It was a commercial movie where the four heroines were just pairs for the heroes, so they went in and out of scenes and nobody noticed in theatre that their voices were the same. I have dubbed for Kavya once but the voice didn’t match; usually artist Sreeja dubs for her.

My voice matches more for actresses from outside Kerala. In fact, I have dubbed the most for Priyamani. Apart from her, I feel a soul connection when I dub for Kaniha and Lakshmi Gopalaswamy. In the Priyadarshan horror thriller ‘Geetanjali’, starring Mohanlal and Keerthi Suresh, I had to give the horror effect. I had no experience laughing and screaming like a person possessed, but Priyan sir guided me. In fact, there is a story behind each film dubbing.

Many directors show great involvement in the dubbing. Some directors send their assistants or scriptwriters while some come in person for the main characters.

What are the reactions of the actresses you have dubbed for?

To be frank, actresses in general don’t keep in touch. Aparna Gopinath is an exception, and messages often. I have dubbed in all her movies in Malayalam except one. I bagged my fourth State Best Dubbing Artist award [in 2014] for her character in ‘Munnariyuppu’. Priyamani refers me even for her ads which need dubbing. At the 2007 State awards function, I met Khushboo who got a special appearance award for ‘Kaiyoppu’. She thanked me as the movie had given her a good break in Malayalam cinema.

Those good vibes won’t happen with every actress. Many don’t even acknowledge we dub for them. But there is no use talking negative or complaining that we have been ignored, so I let go.

How long does a dubbing assignment take? How is it done?

It depends on the character. If there are only 10-15 scenes, I can finish in 4-5 hours or half a day. But dubbing for Shweta Menon in ‘Kalimannu’ [the sensational movie which had scenes of her actual childbirth] took me three days to complete as it is a heroine-centric movie.

We have to see each frame to do the dubbing.

Is dubbing a full-time profession for you?

Yes, it is. Dubbing and singing give me the most happiness, my me-time. I miss that now. Work has reduced now because of the pandemic.

Do dubbing artists get due credit?

Yes and no. We are getting due recognition from the State and our work is acknowledged or respected – that is why there is a State award instituted for dubbing. However, there are lots of ifs and buts. If you try watching a scene without sound, you will realize the importance of voice in movies. Considering the relevance of voice in a movie scene, I must say it doesn’t get the due publicity.

Another concern we have relates to the production team’s names in the title credits. Veteran directors like Sathyan Anthikad gave all names at the start of the movie but the new-gen directors generally show only their names. They operate with fewer dubbing artists. Most audience would be getting ready to leave the theatre when the names of artists are shown at the end of the movie.

How do you see the role of women artistes in the film industry especially in the light of the Me Too movement and Women in Cinema Collective (WCC)?

Like in any industry, there are more women coming into the film world too. People are able to do any role in films and behind the screens irrespective of gender, which is a positive thing. As for the Me Too movement in cinema, it is just that this is more visible in a field that involves glamour and money. It is a reflection of the society we live in.

I’m not a member of WCC, which comprises the cream of female artistes in the Malayalam film world. Personally, I have nothing against it and I feel it is a good organization of women in cinema. It is welcome as a platform that discusses the issues of the creamy layer of artistes. For those who work behind the scenes, there are associations under FEFKA – like we have the dubbing association to solve our professional problems. But I don’t believe we can burden the association with all our problems. We have to maintain professionalism and take care on our own too when we face or handle issues.

 Do you give voice training to aspiring artistes?

There’s no such opportunity waiting in this field. If the character or movie clicks we will get more opportunities, that is it. Just having a good voice will not help. The viewers have to appreciate.

Have you travelled in Kochi Metro? How did it feel to hear your voice?

Yes, I went specifically to hear my voice! It was good to hear my voice after hearing announcements at railway platforms in languages like Kannada.

Audio books are getting popular. Has anyone approached you to narrate popular Malayalam novels?

I am waiting for that. Only a year ago, I heard about their popularity and now with the pandemic, I guess the relevance has increased. Nothing good has come so far. I would like to modulate especially special characters in Malayalam stories.

How does your family support you in your career?

My husband George always encourages me and gives me the space which is important. There were times when I had to leave my infant daughter in his care and go on dubbing assignments.

Is your daughter into music too?

She sings but is shy. She is 10 years now and we haven’t started any training yet. I go to a karaoke club, so she has been listening to old hits that I sing there. She sings Malayalam and Tamil songs but is more interested in English music especially numbers from Frozen.