Have you watched a movie in a language you do not know? If you have you will know that the subtitles help you understand the movie. The person who makes it possible for you to understand the movie is a Subtitlist.
“Our work is to subtitle films for a foreign audience to understand the film better. If it is a regional film, the dialogues are translated into English (usually), from English it is translated to all other languages, like Arabic, French, German,” says Rekhs, a subtitlist from Chennai.
“My mornings begin rather early. It is not a 9-to-5 job, the hours are crazy and often impossible deadlines rule! I wear my headphones and painstakingly listen to each and every dialogue spoken, or lyrics of songs, and translate them within a small time frame. Timing is the key factor, as one ‘sub’ should not overlap on to the next dialogue,” Rekhs explains.
A filmy start
Rekhs began subtitling in 2006 with her husband Haricharan’s and Newton’s film “Thoovaanam”. The cinematographer asked her to subtitle it as he wanted to send the film to Mumbai. In 2009, she took up “Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya”.
“From January 2010 to June 2010, I approached so many directors, producers, distributors who thought I was from a different galaxy to want to subtitle their films. Then “Enthiran” happened; with the magic of Shankar, ARR and Superstar, the floodgates opened,” says an exhilarated Rekhs.
Today, she is on her 490th film and has a hand-picked team. They have branched out to Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Besides this, Rekhs is also known to have subtitled more than 750 short films documentaries, interviews, and music video free of cost.
Though there are a few courses available, if you are truly interested and have an inclination, there is no specific age to start. Translate small bytes or short films as it helps hone your skills. Then, attempt a full-length documentary or feature film.
When it comes to keeping herself updated with advancements in her field, Rekhs says, “I read a lot, interact with other subtitlists (of different nationalities) and the feedback I get from an army of e-friends is most helpful. All one needs is a good command over English — colloquial form versus written form, slang, idioms, and so on.”
“Here’s a tip for budding subtitlists — play scrabble, read a book, and tell your parents the story at bedtime. This works wonders as it helps you give the right muse/words, ideas and the right usage automatically pops out of your head...” she says.
