NEW DELHI: Senior actor Ashish Vidyarthi has shared insights into his preparation for the role of Doctor Doom in the audio series 'Marvel’s Wastelanders: Doom', and discussed the unique challenge of bringing to life the complex and intimidating character, using only the power of his voice.
Ashish, who has voiced Doctor Doom in Hindi, has opened up on his approach, preparations, and the rise of audio content.
On what drew him to this character, Ashish told IANS: "Certain characters come to you; this is one of them. I knew of it and then I discovered it while I started doing that work. I thoroughly enjoyed it, because it's an actor's delight when an actor can explore possibilities while doing a role."
"The voicescape allowed me to really see what else can be created. So, it's a marvelous world, pun unintended, wherein the soundscape in Wastelanders, we have created the entire story and I was intrigued by it. I'm so very happy that I'm part of it, " he said.
'Doctor Doom' is known for his complex personality-- he's not just a villain but also a ruler, a scientist, and a man with a deep sense of pride. His mask and armour are iconic visual elements.
How did you prepare to convey such a multifaceted character with intimidation using only your voice?
Ashish, who is known for his work in 'AK-47' shared: "In actuality, we as actors, look at roles and try to get the main things cleared. So, for me, what really inspires me when I play any such role is if I can play that character in a nuanced way. It should not look just plain this or plain that. Frankly, it was very beautifully helped by the fact that the script was so well written."
"Of course, I'm very grateful to Mantra Mugdh (director), who was with me throughout the recording. Being someone who is answering questions and telling me the details of how the other characters are behaving, what's happening, that went a long way in me being able to get the interesting nuances of the character, " he said.
He further told IANS: "Then there's the freedom as an actor when even though the character has been initially written for some actor in a distant US, when one is creating it in Hindi, one is making sure that people here find it relatable. So, there are emotions which are slightly different, there is certain laughter, certain pauses, and even pain, which is slightly different. There is a lot left to an actor's ability to explore and create a vivid image just through sound. So, I found it very, very, very exciting."
With the rise of audio content, especially in regional languages, what do you think about the future of storytelling through voice, particularly in the Indian context?
The 59-year-old actor said: "Amazing. You see, what happens is that we in any case, have got a very strong history of storytelling. What's interesting is that you can listen with the lights off, with your eyes shut, just wear headphones and go into another universe."
"And it's just keeping your eyes shut. I do it often. I listen to such things and just go to sleep. I enjoy this. So, I think that's something which is an atmosphere, as long as you can manage the volume of your headphones, this doesn't strain you as watching long hours does, just at the right temperature, the right volume, it's a great listen, " he concluded.
'Marvel's Wastelanders: Doom’ marks the fifth season of the Hindi Original podcast series of ‘Marvel’s ‘Wastelanders’. It features Ashish Vidyarthi (Doctor Doom), Yashaswini Dayama (Valeria Richards), Sudhanshu Pandey (Hulk) and Karanvir Bohra (Klaw) among others, artistically directed by Mantra Mugdh.
Mantra, who is the RJ, actor, director and audio producer, is the Artistic Director of the six-season audio epic, 'Marvel’s Wastelanders', in Hindi.