The upcoming Indian movie Varanasi has announced a dubbing strategy with a goal to reach audiences in 50 languages, and while AI in dubbing is being increasingly explored in voice recreation and localisation, the producers of Varanasi are taking a different route. Instead of hiring AI-generated voices, they will cast around 1,500 artists for a true human-language version of the film.
The decision has drawn much attention because dubbing a major Indian production into dozens of languages is a large task. India itself has hundreds of languages and dialects, and Indian cinema has developed a growing international audience. A movie that can communicate well with viewers across linguistic markets can reach a much larger audience than a release which is limited to a few major languages.
The makers' apparent preference for human artists is particularly significant with AI technology taking a huge step forward in the entertainment industry.
Artificial intelligence can be used to assist filmmakers in production and post-production of any production: translation, voice processing and localisation for translation, voice processing and localisation, and in the editing process. But human dubbing artists are very capable of bringing emotional interpretation, cultural familiarity, and performance nuances that automated systems may not always capture well.
Voice performances are a key part of making a big-scale movie like Varanasi work and would help to keep the emotional impact of the original production. Dialogue delivery is not just a matter of translating words from one language into another. A dubbed version in a successful way needs to keep the character, humour, intensity, rhythm, and emotional context in a good way. The voice artist must therefore know the translated dialogue as well as the character.
The auditioning of approximately 1,500 artists indicates that the makers are taking the casting process seriously with an eye towards casting. Instead of selecting voices simply because of their technical similarity, the team can still find voices that sound like the artists who sound good in the film that they like to voice the personality and emotional content of different characters, and therefore the team can look for voices which accentuate the personalities and emotions of each character. Ultimately, the process could also open up a pathway for professional voice artists from different parts of the country to get involved in a big Indian film.
The new plan to dub Varanasi in 50 languages is indicative of the global ambitions of Indian cinema. In recent years, films from different Indian industries have reached audiences too far out of their traditional linguistic markets. When we have localised movies of such quality, it is no longer a barrier when the story is good, if there is a strong story and the characters are strong.
The multilingual approach would be of great interest to Varanasi in particular as the project is one of the most eagerly awaited upcoming Indian movies. Large-scale productions have to do a lot of marketing and releases for their big movies to get their audience to come to see them. If we can present local versions in their own languages, then maybe that film can be more accessible and therefore more successful on the screen and digital platforms.
The report that AI-based dubbing was rejected also adds to the project's identity. With the talk of artificial intelligence and creative professions going on in the entertainment industry, it’s natural to think of having so many human actors in the company as a big investment in traditional artistic skills. Voice acting is a very special art, and expert dubbers would usually have a talent like that to create a different performance and still be able to maintain a scene’s original intent.
At the same time, the scale of the project can be very complex. Auditions for around 1,500 artists, voice selection for multiple languages, dialogue recording, and translation to be consistent in the different versions is a lot of time and money to do. The production team will also need to make sure that every language adaptation feels natural to the target audience and not like real translations.
If executed, the strategy could be one of the most important themes of Varanasi’s release campaign. And not only will people be interested in the film itself; they will also be interested in the unique method through which the multilingual versions are being made. Human artists may also be attracted to by voice-acting communities and regional entertainment industries.
The idea is also a reminder of the need for linguistic diversity in Indian cinema. Being a country with so many languages offers filmmakers an enormous potential audience, but to reach them you need to make subtitles as well. And high-quality dubbing will help you feel familiar with your characters and emotionally relevant so that you can see a movie in a language you know.
As the hype for Varanasi continues to grow, the 50-language dubbing plan could give the movie a very broad footprint. The decision to cast thousands of artists instead of putting AI only in the forefront shows that human performance and regional authenticity are important to the film.
In the end, the success of the strategy will depend on how well the final dubbed versions retain the spirit of the original film. If the makers are able to make sure that the localisation is correct and voice performances are good enough to give an example for the big Indian productions to do multilingual releases in the future, Varanasi might set a good role model for how people in India will be able to do so.
For now, the fact that around 1,500 artists were involved in dubbing is a big deal for the film ahead of its release.
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