From becoming the familiar Hindi voice of Doraemon to now voicing Balaram in Mahaprabhu Jagannath, dubbing artiste Sonal Kaushal has brought a distinctive warmth and innocence to some of animation’s most beloved characters. As the film releases around the festive occasion of Janmashtami, Kaushal recalls her childhood celebrations, opens up about creating Balaram’s voice without a visual reference, and reflects on how her journey in dubbing has evolved—from radio in the late 1990s to animation, international projects, and the changing landscape of AI.

On Janmashtami and the re-release of Mahaprabhu Jagannath, do you have any memories you can recall?

We have a Laddu Gopal idol at home, and he has been worshipped since my childhood. When we were very young, I remember we used to dress up as Radha and Krishna and prepare dance performances days before Janmashtami. Back then, there were no big housing societies or large public events, so we kids used to do our own thing. I have very beautiful memories of Janmashtami. This Janmashtami is incredibly special because of the film Mahaprabhu Jagannath, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it.

Whose voice did you dub for?

I voiced Balaram. In this film and series, Balaram is shown as the best friend to Jagannath Prabhu. I feel very lucky to have gotten Balaram’s character instead of Jagannath Prabhu’s, because Balaram is the only human, a child, who can actually see Jagannath Prabhu, talk to Him, and have Him solve all his problems.

How do you work on your voice?

I feel truly blessed. When dubbing for a locally produced Indian show, we don’t have the completed video in front of us beforehand. For foreign shows, the video is already produced, and we just lay down our voice over it. But in Indian animation, we record the voice first, and then the animation is created based on our track.

So the process is completely reversed! As a dubbing artist, how do you navigate that?

It is a more challenging job because we don’t have a visual reference in front of us; we have to create one for the animators using our voice. For projects like these, I end up feeling like a child myself! When I was voicing Balaram in the initial stages, I gave him a slightly lisping speech pattern. The way he says “Jagan!” I love that. Even though I recorded it myself, I still love hearing it!

How did you enter this field?

I started when barely anyone knew about this field, all thanks to my mother. She used to work for All India Radio in Delhi as a casual announcer, making announcements like “This is All India Radio’s Delhi Station.” I started around 1998–1999 in radio, and that is how I entered the industry.

How did Doraemon happen?

Doraemon happened in 2005 when I was 14 years old. UTV was looking for young voices for dubbing, so I auditioned for the character and got selected.

What is the major difference between dubbing for a Hollywood project versus an Indian project?

In terms of dubbing performance, I don’t think there is a difference because, as artists, we put our whole heart into every project, whether it’s animation, K-dramas, Hollywood, Bollywood, or YouTube series. In terms of production quality, Bollywood is almost on par with Hollywood now, and with major projects like Ramayan coming up, Indian animation and cinema are doing really well.

Are you dubbing in the new Ramayana?

No! (laughs)

What are your thoughts on AI in the dubbing industry? Is it a threat or a tool?

Many people fear AI, and their concerns are valid in some respects. However, AI is ultimately a technology and a tool designed to assist humans. We shouldn’t be afraid of it; it will continue to exist and evolve, so we must learn to adapt and coexist with it. Sitting around fearing it won’t accomplish anything.

Has AI impacted work so far?

For plain voiceovers, yes; but for character dubbing, not yet. Voiceover work, like standard news announcements, requires no emotion, and AI has largely replaced humans in that role. However, dubbing requires deep human emotion and nuance, which AI hasn’t fully mastered yet. With further training, it might get closer, but as humans, we will always find our way forward.

What has been your most memorable dubbing experience?

Balaram is very dear to me because I could shape his voice however I wanted; he feels like my own child. Another performance that stands out to me is my voice role as Sita Maa in the Japanese-animated Ramayan (1990), which was recently redubbed and re-released in theaters.