Walt Disney is leaving no stone unturned in going after the big names in the Indian market for dubbed versions of Frozen 2, sequel to its 2013 hit Frozen.
While the American film will have Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell voicing the characters of Queen Elsa and Princess Anna, Disney recently announced that the Tamil-dubbed version of Frozen 2 will feature the voices of actor Shruti Haasan and popular television anchor Dhivyadarshini in the roles of Elsa and Anna. Lyricist Vivek also débuts as a dialogue writer in the film.
The actors speak about their experience being a part of the film:
Vivek, lyricist — penned dialogues and lyrics
I was threatened to take up the project!
Vivek
When I told my wife that I had received this opportunity, she simply told me ‘You’re going to write’ (laughs). But I can see that the product has resonated well with the family audience, especially women and children.
It is important that we don’t lose the child in us in the pursuit of life. We should not lose our humane values, and I think a film like Frozen 2 helps us do just that.
It is also the first time I have written dialogues along with songs for a film. It was challenging because I had to write words that would match with the lip sync. I also had to retain the essence of the original dialogues.
I’m a big fan of dialogues in films. It can narrate an emotion in one sentence that we cannot say in an entire film.
Dhivyadarshini, actor and TV host — voiced Princess Anna
It is every little girl’s dream to be a princess.
Dhivyadarshini
There wouldn’t be many young girls who haven’t compared themselves to the princesses Walt Disney has brought to life. I was one of them. And when they reached out to me with this opportunity, I was so glad.
It was challenging to dub for Anna because I’m not used to the process. I think I am dubbing after a gap of nine years. I dubbed for a couple of films but I felt that I was not ready for it, and I am the sort of person who feels that if I cannot do something with perfection, I will remove myself from the equation.
After this experience, I have developed immense respect for dubbing artistes. Playing Anna... she is not just a princess who waits for a prince to come sweep her off her feet. She is strong and beautiful at the same time, and she does what she wants to do for herself and for those who she cares about with her talent.
Shruti Haasan, actor and singer — voiced Queen Elsa
I think Frozen is popular around the world because of Elsa.
Shruti Haasan
She is this independent, courageous character, very dynamic but flawed as well. She also has the warrior spirit and so she always rises back up. These are qualities that most young girls can relate to. I think she is a great role model.
So, it was an easy decision [to take up the offer]. There was nothing to think about when I was approached.
The dubbing process was a bit different to when you dub for your own films because you have already acted in the scene. You tend to remember the dialogues and the situation. With Frozen 2, there was no such thing. It was all new and challenging.
One good thing is that I’m very self-critical of how I have performed in a scene while I dub for the portion. I think that I could have done it better. That was not the case here.
Frozen 2 hits the screens on November 22. Besides Shruti Haasan and Dhivyadarshini, comedian Sathyan Sivakumar is also part of the cast and voices Olaf.
