In a recent interview, actress Rani Mukerji discussed a moment from the making of the film ‘Ghulam’ where there were concerns about her voice not fitting the character. The filmmakers even considered hiring a dubbing artist for her role. Recalling the incident, Mukerji revealed that Aamir Khan took on the role of the ‘bad cop’ to handle the situation.
Speaking to Galatta India, Mukerji reflected on the industry’s hesitancy towards her voice, which was considered different from the norm. Director Vikram Bhatt explained that the decision was influenced by opinions in the edit rooms.
During those times, it was a prevalent practice for female actors to have their voices dubbed by others. Mukerji pointed out that this was especially common as many actresses from the South, like Sridevi, were working in Hindi cinema and might not have been fluent in the language.
Aamir Khan reminded Mukerji that even Sridevi faced similar situations and emphasized the importance of prioritizing the film’s needs. Reflecting on the incident, Mukerji noted that Aamir had to take on the role of the “bad cop” due to the collective decision made by the filmmakers. However, she felt that they didn’t give much thought to the matter and merely aimed to play it safe.
Mukerji also credited filmmaker Karan Johar for playing a pivotal role in her career. She recalled how Johar became the first filmmaker to choose to retain her original voice rather than dubbing over it. Upon discovering that her voice was being dubbed, Johar expressed confusion. Mukerji remembered his reassurance, saying, “I love your voice, you will dub for my movie.” She expressed gratitude for Johar’s decision, recognizing that if her voice had been dubbed even in a film like ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,’ it would have been challenging to convince others to allow her to use her own voice in subsequent projects.
