Mitra's office at Nariman Point in south Mumbai, downs its shutters by 7 pm.
The company is working overtime to meet the deadline set by its American client to ready a 24-episode animation film in 60 days.
With more and more overseas buyers looking to India as a potential, low-cost animation filmmaking country, voice over is becoming a preferred part-time profession for people from a cross-section of society.
A bank manager, a child specialist, an employee with a BPO company, a journalist of an English newspaper and an aspiring model -- all are listed with the voice bank of one of the leading animation filmmaking companies based in Mumbai.
"The money I earn from lending my voice as Sheru will not be that much but will help me contribute for the EMIs I pay for the new Skoda vehicle I recently bought. During my college and university days, I was a regular at Utpal Dutta's People's Little Theatre in Kolkata, and used to take part in theatre, even when I got a job there.
"But life in Mumbai is different," explains Mitra, "as travel and job responsibility leave little time for theatre."
After being introduced to the animation film company, last week, Mitra was called to lend his voice for Sheru, the tiger who speaks Hindi and has a great friendship with Veeru, a lion, staying in the same jungle.
Ronnie Screwvala, chief executive officer of UTV Software Communications, which has so far created 300 episodes of animations, said, "Of late voice over has become a hot part-time profession for so many people as it helps one meet inner creative demands and also make some money to meet extra expenses. These people reach us through references of the existing voice lenders. And, sometimes, they simply walk in, following which we record their voice and preserve in voice albums for future reference."
"When we work on an animation film," said Screwvala, "we check the voice bank and try to match voices of these people with the animation characters, following which we call them for an assignment, which pays between Rs 500 and Rs 5,000 for a 30-minute episode. It has not picked up yet as a full-time profession in India, but with Indian companies like UTV doing more animation films for overseas entities, demand for good voice over has suddenly increased."
A source close to one of the animation film companies based in Chennai said, "Most of the dubbing takes place in Mumbai. We also maintain a voice bank of people mostly based in Mumbai and surrounding areas. Though these people always remain an anonymous lot and are hardly given any credit on screen, they are seen happy with the profile of the job. More and more women are also joining this profession along with teens and kids."
Mumbai-based Crest Communications also maintains a similar voice bank which was extensively used when it did the Thenali Raman animation for a Singapore company.
Interestingly, the portal www.opuzzvoice.com has aspiring voice over artists and even freelancers who are allowed to record their voice free to become part of the voice bank.
"As and when required, animation filmmakers use these voices for dubbing," says a source close to Toonz Animation. "The web site is basically an instrument to bridge the voice lenders and the animation makers. Voice overs are also solicited for various ad jingles and commercials. But more and more people prefer to lend their voice for animation, though it pays less than ad jingles, because they find it more creative.
The Indian animation industry is pegged at $150 million and expected to grow by 20 to 30 per cent per annum.
Addresses:
UTV Software Communications Ltd
Parijaat House
1076, Dr E Moses Road
Worli
Mumbai -- 400 018
Phone: (022) 2490 5353
***
Crest Animation Studios Ltd
Crest House
Plot 250 B
Hind Cycle Road
Mumbai -- 400 025
Phone: (022) 2496 1459
***
Toonz Animation India Pvt Ltd
731-739 Nila
Technopark Campus
Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala -- 695 581
Phone: (0471) 2700 929, 2700 928
e-mail: toonz@toonzanimationindia.com
***
Toonz Animation India Pvt Ltd
Shree Ganesh Building
Suite No 11
First Floor
L J Road
Opposite Sitadevi Temple
Mahim West
Mumbai -- 400 016
Phone: (022) 2447 5544
e-mail: toonz@toonzanimationindia.com