Foreground Forum, a web conference series presented by Match My [Talent], was paneled yesterday by some of the most talented and burgeoning Voice artists and Voice coaches in Indian entertainment right now. 

Sonal ‘Motormouth’ Kaushal, who is best known as the Voice of Hindi-speaking Doraemon and various other prestigious characters like Chhota Bheem and Arya Stark (Hindi Dubbed version) graced the panel yesterday with her signature voice that transported us back to the era of endless cartoons. 

Joining her was the multi-talented and beyond-versatile Voice actor, Animator and VFX artist, Varoon Indalkar, who practically stunned the audience with his voice impersonations and range of modulation. 

Gurdip Wadhwa Sial, a recognized voice-over artist and a voicepreneur, stole the show with her charming personality. Joining her from G-Corp was her colleague Anita Naidu Pawaskar, an ex-RJ and current voice coach, who has become an ideal mentor for hundreds of kids and adults.

Sharing the visual of a wooden booth resting near her, Sonal Kaushal, perhaps the most sought-after voice artist in India, shared the experience of a voice artist adapting to the Work From Home culture like the rest of the world. “This wooden booth at my home is now my office. I sit inside it and record, 10 -15 characters minimum in a single day. None of us thought that we voice artists would have to prepare this sort of makeshift arrangement. All part of our Jugaadoo (resourceful) nature.” said Kaushal.

Adding to this, the simplest but most truthful revelation came from the words of Animation enthusiast Varoon Indalkar. “If I could sum up my knowledge of this industry in three words, it would be these- Practise, Practise and Jugaad!” said Indalkar.

Anita Pawaskar, a highly efficient mentor at G-Corp Media, explained some of the nuances of being or becoming a voice actor. “If you have a voice, and want to make it an asset, you have to first identify the areas where your voice fits the best. Is it best for online classes, or film-dubs, or advertisements, animated movies, or presentations, or client meetings, etc? Once you have decided that then comes understanding the nuances of effective speaking and voice modulation. Modulation is very important. When you’re reading out a transcript, one has to remember that the voice quality should efficiently express the emotion that the character is feeling,” said Pawaskar. 

A funny tale of moving to Mumbai with a suitcase full of dreams led the very charming Gurdip to talk about how the voice-over industry has become a force to reckon with. “I am a living example of how the audio content and production industry is not just about dubbing into Hindi anymore. Voiceover is needed in almost every domain today, from IVRs to chatbots to educational to Entertainment. All that is needed is a 360-degree analysis and of course, willingness to play,” Said Sial. 

The discussion highlighted the very bright future that voice artists today have ahead of themselves. Voice art is one such profession where anyone can find their spot, it is about identifying where your voice suits the best. Having the flexibility to be able to do so from home, makes it a very lucrative WFH. Brands and content creators are now finally able to leverage the vernacular and the common man approach to advertising and customer service. The only piece that remains to be developed in all of this is - how does one find such a wide range of voice artists. The demonstration of Match My [Talent] from Sonia Choksi, came as an answer to this as well. A search engine that is only focused on performing artists. An artificial intelligence-centric engine that lists out the performing artists purely on the basis of the attributes Is the future of finding the right performing artists. 

To watch the full webinar, click here.