Hers is a starry voice
SHILPA SEBASTIAN R.
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Sunetra who started with theatre, has become synonymous with the small screen. She is that honey voice that pumps in emotion for almost all the leading ladies of Kannada film industry
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PHOTO: MURALI KUMAR K.
BEHIND THE SCREEN Sunetra: `As a dubbing artiste you have to get under the skin of the person you are dubbing for'
Sunetra Pandit is hard to get. She is a big star in local television and has a packed schedule. After my will-surely-get-you persistence, Sunetra said: "11.30 sharp". Me, a stickler for time, turned up five minutes early, and was subject to what seemed like an endless wait. Poor luck, I told myself and got ready to leave, and lo! the roly-poly Sunetra, comes vrooming on her two-wheeler, with her characteristic wide grin. "Sorry, sorry. Tumbaa traffic ittu," she apologises profusely. I had barely opened my mouth to respond and she was surrounded by a bunch of college boys from Hampi who stuck their autograph books into her face. With great patience she even smiles for their cameras and wishes them luck. Two boys whiz past us on their bikes, even as they scream her dialogues from a serial. "Kids," she laughs.
Small start
"I had no theatre background but like most other kids did theatre when in school. Then in a state level competition I won the best actor award and have been hooked on to theatre ever since."
Her passion for theatre was so strong that her sister introduced her to the Kannada amateur group Prayogaranga. With a meaty role in her maiden play Hucchha Munseefa Sunetra had arrived. Sunetra travelled to various states performing. She worked with directors like K.V. Nagaraj Murthy, Uma Shankar, Suresh Anagalli, Walter D'Souza, Nagendra Shah and more.
"It was an exciting period. Our role didn't end with acting. We used to be actors, backstage workers and even did our own make up sometimes." Soon she got offers to act in low-budget documentaries from DD channels.
Sunetra did get a lot of happiness out of theatre and acting. But to keep the hearth burning, it required more than just passion. She became a dubbing artiste and became the voice of all leading heroines of Kannada. Her maiden voice-over was for Prema where she was paired with Shivraj Kumar in the blockbuster Om. Sunetra won the Best Voice of the year award for this film and has since then dubbed for 550 films. She has been the voice of Prema and has also lent her voice to Shilpa, Charulatha, Ramya Krishna, Rambha and Bhagyashree (from the Maine Pyar Kiya fame).
Was it not difficult to settle down to just being a voice, while the on-screen persona lapped up all the fame and the accolades? "No. In fact, I found dubbing really challenging. Each person has a different breath control and pause pattern. To follow that person's breath control is a bit tough. As a dubbing artiste you have to get under the skin of the person you are dubbing for. One has to overcome the shortcomings of the actor's performance with good voice modulations," says this artiste who has also worked as an associate director for Final Cut, Sihi Kahi Chandru's production company.
But she is sad that most dubbing artistes go unnoticed. "A dubbing artiste is as good as a playback singer. But there are so many who are still struggling to get recognition. But dubbing has certainly boosted my career," says Sunetra, who has acted in films like Ulta Pulta, Ninagoskara, Yaare Neenu Chaluve and Sathyu's Ghalige.
Household name
The late 90s was boom time for television and with so many Kannada channels opening up, Sunetra started getting offers for television serials.
From Itihaasa, for Balaji Telefilms directed by R.N. Jayagopal to Sihi Kahi Chandru's Silly Lally, she has come a long way indeed. So much so that her catchphrase "chappale" from the serial Silly Lally has become a favourite with audiences. "Television is the sure way to reach out to people. You are in their drawing rooms everyday and soon become their own."
She does not believe in a positive or a negative role. "As long as the role suits me and I get 100 per cent satisfaction out of it, I don't care." I give complete credit to my parents, my husband who have given me complete freedom to discover myself. In fact, they are my best critics."
Sunetra has grand plans of directing a film too. Will it be like her maiden telefilm production venture? An all-woman team right from the driver to technician to scriptwriter to actors? "I don't know yet."
What would it be to live without all this fame and popularity? "That would be the worst day of my life. In fact, there are so many serials these days that if we are not seen for three days people will forget us," she admits.
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