Angel Shijoy had just walked into a recording studio with hands full of ‘treats’. She is still basking in the joy of winning the Kerala State Film Award 2015 for Best Dubbing Artiste for the film Haram.
Actually, viewers have been hearing her voice for years. Angel, who is now a mother of a two-year-old, has been dubbing for various movies and commercials since she was eight. When asked about the number of movies she has dubbed for already, she thinks for a while. “I don’t remember exactly, but I think it’s around 300,” says Angel, who was in the recording studio to dub for Dulquer starrer Kali.
On winning the award, she says, “My happiness doubled when people started contacting me and congratulating me. Their energy added to my elation.”
So is she very serious when it comes to preserving her voice for dubbing? “I used to try voice preservation earlier, but then I heard how singer S.P. Balasubramaniam used to eat ice cream every day and still had a clear voice, after that even I have ice creams whenever possible.”
Angel had won the Kerala State TV Award by dubbing for a short film in 2013. Angel says, “I believe dubbing for commercials is more satisfying. And there are times when I go through my previous recordings and have found that they are not that great or it could have been done better. I guess, I am getting better now.”
Speaking about some of her most praised works, she says “I had dubbed for Aparna Gopinathan for the movie ABCD, which everyone said was good. I was praised for Haram as well as for Aana Mayil Ottakam, which released last year."
When asked if there is any particular actress she wishes to dub for or any character she is looking forward to lend her voice to, Angel says “I have not planned anything like that. If my voice suits a character or the actor then I go for it. And I always like giving voice to slightly serious roles. I guess that suits well.”
