Actor Sharad Kelkar was in Hyderabad on Tuesday to promote the Disney+ Hotstar animated series, Baahubali: Crown of Blood, with SS Rajamouli and the rest of the series team. The actor, who lent his voice to Prabhas’ titular character in the highly successful Baahubali films, did the same for the series. He spoke to the press about the intricate process of dubbing for an animated series, from voicing the character again to trusting the new team. (Also Read: SS Rajamouli rues that India still looks at animation as something for children; calls it ‘surprising’)
‘It was difficult not to have Prabhas as reference’
Sharad seemed nervous when he took the mic, thanking Rajamouli for making him the voice of Baahubali in Hindi years ago. “I am nervous because I’m sharing the stage with Rajamouli sir for the first time,” he said, adding, “I have to thank him for making me the voice of Baahubali. My life changed after the films were released. From being a boy from a small town who had a stammer to becoming the voice of Baahubali, it has been a journey.”
Sharad revealed that when he entered the entertainment industry, he never thought he would be at a stage where his voice would receive so much love. “I never thought my voice would be loved so much, I didn’t even star in the films. So, when they called me again to dub for Crown of Blood, I had full trust, it felt like homecoming. In fact, it’s not just me, all the artistes who dubbed for the Hindi version of the films dubbed for this series.”
The actor however states that despite being a familiar character, it was difficult for him to dub for Baahubali initially. “I didn’t have Prabhas as a reference this time like I did the last time. It was difficult. But I kept thinking how he would do it, how he would say something, and that helped me dub for it. Hopefully, the audience will like it,” he said.
About Baahubali: Crown of Blood
Baahubali: Crown of Blood is an animated series that will stream on Disney+ Hotstar from May 17 in multiple languages. The makers describe it as, “A dark chapter in the Mahishmati kingdom’s history that became its greatest challenge and shaped the future of its two prices, Baahubali and Bhallaladeva.” Rajamouli revealed that the story shown in the series takes place during the events shown in the Baahubali films. He also handed over the reins to Sharad Devaranjan, who worked as the show’s creator.
