Audible, a leading producer and provider of premium audio content, recently released the fourth season of the Hindi Audible Original podcast series Marvel’s Wastelanders. Chandan Roy Sanyal, the talented actor behind the voice of Crossbones in Audible X Marvel’s Wastelanders: Wolverine, shared insights into his exhilarating experience in an exclusive conversation with IWMBuzz.com. Read on:
As the voice of Crossbones, can you describe your experience working on such a unique project within the Marvel universe?
It was a unique experience for me because I had never done anything like this before. It was for me the first of its kind, being part of visual mediums like cinema or theatre. Here, what I was doing existed solely in the imaginative world, with no visual cues. Constructing a character based solely on sound, phonetics, and lending energy through voice modulation, pitching, tonality, and notes was a unique challenge for me as an actor.
What were some of the most memorable moments for you while recording for this series?
Sometimes, moments “being memorable” feels like being a character in a chase scene. The dogs are relentless behind you, and you have to truly believe they’re there, panting and gasping for breath as you run what feels like endless kilometers. You’re not just running; you’re also hiding, imagining the dogs drawing nearer with every second. And in this intense moment, you might even try to fly, grasping at anything your imagination can conjure. All of this, conveyed solely through the texture of your voice – the exhaustion, the elation, the sorrow, the strange mix of happiness and fatigue, or the sheer terror when you wield the metaphorical gun. You’re tasked with portraying every shade of emotion, with no visual cues, no one to guide you. It’s like stumbling through the darkness, simultaneously challenging and beautiful. That’s what I find to be the toughest and most exquisite aspect of it all for me.
How do you feel about being part of the Hindi adaptation of this epic franchise, and what do you think it adds to the Marvel universe?
I believe Marvel, as creators of such multiverse characters, has gained global fame and amassed millions, if not billions, of fans worldwide. However, introducing another language could bring a fresh perspective. Imagine these iconic characters engaging in conversations in Hindi, offering a unique experience for both them and the audience. This shift could open up an entirely new market with a different audience, providing insight into how these characters resonate in diverse cultural contexts. There are so many people who might not be aware of such characters coming from Marvel. They would probably pick up these characters thanks to the Hindi.
In what ways do you believe audio storytelling can enhance the experience of consuming content like Marvel Wastelanders?
I think not just for me as an actor, I’m saying I think as an audience even when I was listening to some other episodes where other actors had performed as a listener, as an audience, I found it very interesting that you actually when you hear it just through your listening power or just your ears, I think it’s very meditative. When you’re in a meditation or in deep meditation, your mind transports, you can transport yourself spiritually and mentally to another world, another realm, another space. This whole experience of audio and sound can be very meditative I think, and it can actually transport you to this whole other world.
As someone who has worked across various forms of entertainment, how does this project compare, and what did you find most challenging or rewarding about it?
When you are dubbing for a project, whether it’s a film, advertisement, or commercial, you’re essentially lending your voice to a visual portrayal. However, in this instance, there were no visual cues; everything relied solely on imagination. The concept of embodying a larger-than-life character introduced a new dimension to my craft. The sheer weightiness of these characters was both intriguing and refreshing for me as an actor. Venturing into this medium for the first time, I feel compelled to explore it further.