With the release of Steven Spielberg’s live action adaptation, The BFG this Friday, Roald Dahl’s classic creation, The Big Friendly Giant , is about reach many new audiences, including in several Indian languages.
The Hindi dubbed version is a multi-starrer when it comes to the voices: with none other than Amitabh Bachchan as the benevolent giant, Gulshan Grover as Fleshlumpeater, the leader of the man-eating giants, and Parineeti Chopra as the 10-year-old Sophie, who befriends the affable 12-foot behemoth in a faraway land.
Chopra confesses that she has “watched more animation films in recent years than in her childhood.” She says she owes her fascination for them to movies like Madagascar , Ice Age and Up .
Talking of children’s literature, are there any other adaptations that she would want to see on screen? “There are so many!” she says. “ Amelia Jane , The Famous Five series and other Enid Blyton books…”
Hollywood debutThis is Chopra’s Hollywood debut, albeit a disembodied one. Dubbing for The BFG was “like any other film you dub for,” she says. Dubbing is known to be an interesting yet equally challenging and restrictive task. “The pitch, meter and tempo are all set,” says Chopra. The voiceover for the role, originally done by the 11-year-old Ruby Barnhill, could have hardly been child’s play for the 27-year-old Chopra. “I have a deep voice. I trust I’ve done a good job. I hope she watches the Hindi version and feels I’ve done okay.” She is keeping her fingers crossed and she hopes children watching the film will be just as pleased with her work.
The choices were limited, it seems, and Chopra took on the challenge.
She says, “I didn’t quite pick the role. I must have done something right to have been offered this.”
She is now also looking forward to more releases, like Meri Pyari Bindu with actor Ayushmann Khurrana in 2017.
It’s interesting, however, that this week besides being the voice of The BFG she will also be seen in Dishoom. Twice the fun!
The writer is an intern with The Hindu
