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EXCLUSIVE: Arjun Kapoor on dubbing experience for The Boys hindi ver, Karl Urban & what he wants to see in S3
In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Pinkvilla, Arjun Kapoor spoke candidly about his dubbing experience for The Boys Hindi version, his admiration for Karl Urban and what he's expecting to see in Season 3 of the superhero series.
Amid the quarantine/lockdown mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us relied heavily on OTT platforms for the past few months to give us a sense of fictional semblance. While Marvel and DC movies played Russian roulette with their release dates, we were treated with The Boys Season 2, which is everything anti-superheroes. Starring Karl Urban, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty and more, The Boys S2 was nothing less than bloody brilliant.
For Indian fans, The Boys is not just available for viewing on Amazon Prime Video in English but can also be watched in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. Moreover, The Boys Hindi version tapped in an epic voiceover cast with Arjun Kapoor playing the badass Billy Butcher, Rajkummar Rao portraying the evil Supe Homelander and Disha Patani as the bubbly yet powerful Starlight. In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Pinkvilla, we spoke to Kapoor about his dubbing experience, especially with a character as complex and unpredictable as Butcher.
Here are excerpts from Pinkvilla's interview with Arjun Kapoor:
What do you find the most intriguing about The Boys that made you a big fan of the series? Moreover, what did you think of Karl Urban's unique take on Billy Butcher?
I was a huge fan of the series even before it became a cult or part of pop culture. So much so, that I binged the entire first season in one go when it was launched. The entire concept of heroes being the villain and the villains being the hero was really unique and exciting for me. It is a spectacular show and one that acts like an eye-opener making you question whatever you believed is right or wrong. I think that is the most intriguing part of the story.
I find Karl Urban’s take on Billy Butcher extremely interesting. I love Billy Butcher and I am a fan of Karl Urban, who I think is a phenomenal actor. It's tough to be this gruff man with the hard exterior who doesn’t reveal too much. Yet, in those fleeting moments, you see all the emotions in between. To have that sarcasm dripping, a wicked smile and a cheekiness along with a mind that is constantly thinking about how to bring Homelander down. Karl is an actor who is so driven and one who always delivers flawless performances. I have tremendous respect for him.
How was your dubbing experience for The Boys?
My dubbing experience was super fun, but it was also a little more difficult than I had anticipated. In the case of dubbing, you have to match the rhythm and pattern of the person and it gets very difficult when you are doing it in a different language. Getting a balance, reading the body language, the lines, the emotion, there are a lot of things one has to consider before they start dubbing. You have to see each line a few times to understand it. I put in a lot of hours and I'm glad I did because it taught me something new about myself and my craft that I would like to always keep improving.
Billy Butcher is a very gritty, raw character known for his Cockney accent... how did you try to add a different flavour to such an intriguing character?
I was so excited to play the character... I love the character of Billy Butcher as well as Karl's performance. I was thrilled to be dubbing for a character that is so unique and so well-performed. Especially in this case when we were dubbing in a whole new language. Whenever dubbed, people’s expectations sort of increases and they want to see something that they know or relate to. I have tried and got that element in my dubbing. I also made sure that I am honest with what Billy’s character is and have tried to apply the same amount of emotional honesty at that moment in another language. Whether it's the sarcasm that comes with honesty or even the emotion, I try to just latch onto it and believe that I'm living and breathing the character in that language.
Which has been your favourite scene from The Boys Season 2 to provide voiceover for and why?
One of my favourite scenes of the series is in the first episode when Hughie and Billy are walking across Times Square. In the scene, Billy is explaining to Hughie the philosophy of the crazy world the show is based on. I find the scene very interesting because of the way the camera captures everything in one shot from Times Square to Billy Butcher. I loved the punch lines too. I also loved the scene in the last episode of Season 2 where Billy is sitting at the lakeside, it’s very different from the rest of the show.
What are you hoping to see in The Boys Season 3?
Well, I am looking forward to a lot more of Billy Butcher and hopefully, I get to dub for him again. It will be definitely interesting to see where they take the story ahead. I don’t want to take away from people’s experience by giving out too much as there will be spoilers. But it will be interesting to see how emotionally Billy reacts. What has transpired and happened at the end of Season 2 was a big change. What will his motivations be now, what will drive him or will he walk away? That is what excites me for Season 3 mostly. Maybe, I am a bit biased, but I see it from Billy’s point of view than anybody else’s after dubbing for this show.
If given a chance to guest star on The Boys, would you like be a part of Butcher & Co. or rather play a Supe?
If given a chance I would still play Billy Butcher. It’s the character I relate to the most. Also, the fact that Karl has given us much to feed on. His performance is flawless and honestly, I had a lot of fun playing him.
What did you think of The Boys Hindi version? Share your review with Pinkvilla in the comments section below.
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