Actors are being tempted to experiment with the audio series format because of the difficulties in conveying emotion just via speech

The audio world is flourishing! Marvel’s Wastelanders, in its fourth season, is now available on Audible, an audio streaming service. This podcast, which is available in French, German, Hindi, Italian, and Japanese, is an ambitious joint venture between Marvel Entertainment and Audible.

Sharad Kelkar plays Wolverine’s voice in the Hindi adaptation of Marvel’s Wastelanders: Wolverine, while Mithila Palkar plays Sofia and Neelam Kothari plays Jean Grey. Jenny Turner Hall is the writer and director of Wastelanders: Wolverine in English. Mantra Mugdh, an actor, director, and presenter, is responsible for the Hindi version.

There are more superheroes that have captured the interest of Indian viewers besides Wolverine. Other well-known superheroes, including Captain America, Professor X/Charles Xavier, Red Skull, Cyclops, and more, are included in this lengthy radio series.

We discuss the difficulties and benefits of working in this medium with voice actors Sharad Kelkar (Wolverine), Aadil Khan (Captain America), Chandan Roy Sanyal (Crossbones), and director Mantra.

Sharad found it a fascinating experience to bring the Hindi version of Wolverine to life and provide the character’s voice. “My favorite superhero is Wolverine,” he declares. Being able to express all of his feelings—guilt, failure, resiliency, courage—through my voice alone was difficult but rewarding for me as an artist. I hope that by hearing Wolverine’s narrative, listeners would be able to relate to its depth and intensity and learn something valuable from it.

Hat of the director

Director Mantra has been involved with Audible from its founding and predicts that the number of audio plays, audio films, and fiction podcasts will increase significantly in the next ten years.

“Adapting such a renowned series came with a responsibility, considering the massive fan base Marvel enjoys in India,” Mantra says of his experience directing Wastelanders. Giving the information a local flavor without sacrificing its original meaning was essential. Our major goal was to stay true to the original source material while preserving authenticity.

Mantra’s favorite podcast is Kaali Awaazein, which is narrated by Amitabh Bachchan. Working with novice audio performers and assisting them in achieving their objectives was rewarding for him. Saif Ali Khan was really enthusiastic, which made working with him enjoyable. It was genuinely fantastic to see these performers change via the power of voice, says Mantra.

Ears versus eyes

The voice of Captain America, Aadil, was astonished to be given the role in the audio series. He describes it as a really strange sensation. It was quite fascinating to delve into the realm of Hindi-dubbed superheroes. Working with a group of really gifted people—actors and voice actors among them—made the experience even more exciting.

He claims that audio tales have always been a vital part of our lives and that, given our busy schedules, audio programs provide us a chance to listen to interesting information. Khan has experience as a radio host and is aware of the power of sound. “A lot of people think that hearing is often a better way to connect than seeing.”

Imagination gone wild

Actor Chandan Roy Sanyal has never before been connected to Marvel Entertainment. “It’s intriguing to be able to identify a character just by their voice,” he adds. It’s amazing to be a part of this audio universe where voices and sound design tell a tale and your imagination plays the decisive role. The difficulty is in maintaining the attention of the listeners when delivering by voice. All I can hope for is that we sparked interest and attracted more listeners to the audio realm.

Reminiscent of his childhood radio listening sessions, Sanyal feels that these audio podcasts are just contributing to the resuscitation of that heyday. “In the 1990s, listening to cassettes helped us to be more imaginative. As I gave my character a voice, I could see the scenarios.