Thu, 09/03/2015 - 20:21
The Power of a Narrator
A werewolf emerges…there’s a dark wooded area. A sound of shallow breathing. A girl runs panting through the pine forest. What lurks behind her is the largest beast of the village. Once a boy, the muscular hairy creature in front of her transforms…
Think about the voice that you just read that in.
Close your eyes for a minute. Imagine the narrator.
Now imagine, the real woman behind it. A feisty desi, standing five foot tall, with fringe, and a smirk. Now add a British accent.
You've got Anisha Dadia.
Beyond a Bollywood babe, a tired trope which flattens identities, Anisha is redefining what it is to be an artist of South Asian descent in the 21st century. It must be said that since I met this bodacious actress some five years ago, her flair for accents is really what drove a group of newly formed friends into a hysterical fit of laughters. Anisha had mastered pretty much every dialect known to the somewhat well-trained ear. In school, she took a fitting comedia dell'arte character of Scapino, and made it completely her own.
But our world is perhaps ill-equipped to handle a silver-tongued, sarcastic and shapeshifting Indian lady to play the voice of a fairytale creature. Which is why the audiobook is a brilliant format. Says Dadia: “I like the fact that I am a little more in control of my career and that the voiceover world is a little less superficial.”
Her work with Audio Creation Exchange has garnered many a role, and she no has over a dozen book narrations already under her belt - with more on the way. Authors, impressed with her versatility, often allow her to play a recurring part in a book series. No doubt the humor and depth she brings to each project is part of her voiceover appeal. Listeners have been doubly impressed with her voice, often leaving words of praise in the audiobook reviews. “They are always positive and console my feelings about this path I’ve taken,” Dadia noted.
Her voiceovers are a breath of fresh air, and dismantle the preconceived notion of how a woman of Indian descent should look and behave.
I for one, am hoping to see (and hear!) more from Dadia, as she allows the written word to come to life through the magic maneuverability of her voice.
Think about the voice that you just read that in.
Close your eyes for a minute. Imagine the narrator.
Now imagine, the real woman behind it. A feisty desi, standing five foot tall, with fringe, and a smirk. Now add a British accent.
You've got Anisha Dadia.
Beyond a Bollywood babe, a tired trope which flattens identities, Anisha is redefining what it is to be an artist of South Asian descent in the 21st century. It must be said that since I met this bodacious actress some five years ago, her flair for accents is really what drove a group of newly formed friends into a hysterical fit of laughters. Anisha had mastered pretty much every dialect known to the somewhat well-trained ear. In school, she took a fitting comedia dell'arte character of Scapino, and made it completely her own.
But our world is perhaps ill-equipped to handle a silver-tongued, sarcastic and shapeshifting Indian lady to play the voice of a fairytale creature. Which is why the audiobook is a brilliant format. Says Dadia: “I like the fact that I am a little more in control of my career and that the voiceover world is a little less superficial.”
Her work with Audio Creation Exchange has garnered many a role, and she no has over a dozen book narrations already under her belt - with more on the way. Authors, impressed with her versatility, often allow her to play a recurring part in a book series. No doubt the humor and depth she brings to each project is part of her voiceover appeal. Listeners have been doubly impressed with her voice, often leaving words of praise in the audiobook reviews. “They are always positive and console my feelings about this path I’ve taken,” Dadia noted.
Her voiceovers are a breath of fresh air, and dismantle the preconceived notion of how a woman of Indian descent should look and behave.
I for one, am hoping to see (and hear!) more from Dadia, as she allows the written word to come to life through the magic maneuverability of her voice.
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Laura is a New York transplant, who left an oceanside existence in California to grow wiser amongst the dusty stacks in Columbia University. Wanting a more all encompassing grad school experience, she lived in an international community, and became ever more fascinated in the intersectionality of culture. She eagerly seeks out unusual events that don't make sense in the single-narrative mindset, and likes writing about them, taking inspiration from the likes of Dave Sedaris and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
In her freeish time she enjoys performing improv comedy, and is in pursuit of the best Halal cart in Manhattan.
In her freeish time she enjoys performing improv comedy, and is in pursuit of the best Halal cart in Manhattan.