Virendra Saxena: A Masterclass in the Art of Voicing

Part of Iconic Voices of Indian Advertising, Season One: The Actors.

We call him Viru ji.

Virendra Saxena is a veteran of more than 80 films. For every millennial, he is also Balwant Walia from Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin, a show that was part of our childhood. What fewer people know is how many television commercials carry his voice.

A master of enunciation

Viru ji is one of the finest and most grounded actors we have. He is versatile, and he is a master of enunciation.

His diction is something brands need more than ever. Today, Hindi has become a second language for many creative writers. Scripts arrive translated, not felt. A voice like his gives the words back their weight.

His voice is grainy and earthy, yet grounded. It fits almost every brand built in Bharat and for Bharat. His control over pitch is commendable, and so are his enunciation and projection.

He has worked across so many forms of art that he brings a fresh perspective to every film. No two of his reads sound the same.

The session we will not forget

We had the pleasure of working with him on a commercial for a delivery brand. It turned into a masterclass.

His sessions do not follow a time slot. He performs until he is satisfied, and he performs like a performer, not a reader. Take after take, our jaws dropped.

Near the very end, he asked for one more take. None of us knew what was coming. He recorded it and walked back into the dubbing room. The moment we hit play, the director, client servicing and the client were all stunned.

That is what years on stage sound like.

An ear for music

Viru ji has a remarkable ear for music. He understands the pitch and the sur of a film, and he shapes his voiceover to sit inside it. The result does not sound like narration laid over a film. It sounds like part of its music.

Where his voice fits best

For any brand built for Bharat, you need a voice from Bharat.

• FMCG and household brands for Hindi speaking markets
• Delivery, commerce and services reaching small town India
• Banking, insurance, government and CSR films that need trust
• Films where Hindi copy must sound native, not translated

The lesson for brands

Great Hindi copy deserves a voice that respects the language. Clean diction is not a detail. It decides whether the audience hears a brand or a translation.

And give your artist room. The best take in our session came after the time slot ran out.

Speaking to Bharat in its own voice?

If your next campaign needs a Hindi voiceover with real depth, Voices Bazaar helps brands cast and produce it. Talk to us.

Photo: Virendra Saxena by Suyash.dwivedi, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Converted to black and white.

This post is an appreciation of the artist's work. Voices Bazaar is not his representative.

Written by Samarth Dabral, Founder, Voices Bazaar.

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