For audiences watching Michael in Hindi, the voice of Michael Jackson is not only coming from Jaafar Jackson’s performance on screen, but also from the work of voice actor Ketan Kavva.
Kavva provided the Hindi dub for Jaafar Jackson, who portrays his uncle Michael Jackson in the biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua. The experience gave Kavva the unusual challenge of helping bring one of the most recognisable voices and personalities in music history to Hindi-speaking audiences.
Speaking exclusively to Hindustan Times, Kavva explained that the role required much more than simply trying to imitate Michael Jackson.
“I had to match the voice and pitch!”
The voice actor praised Jaafar Jackson’s performance, explaining that his own work had to remain closely connected to what Jaafar was doing on screen.
“I had to make sure that not only my voice but also my nuances and emotions were in sync.”
That was particularly important because Michael moves through many different sides of Michael Jackson’s personality and career. Kavva recalled scenes in which Michael is inspiring his team, discussing new ideas and showing different emotions.
“I had to change it for Michael too, which had to [be] soft but firm, and I had to make sure that the sadness would be there in the voice,” he explained.
“For me, every scene was a challenge… because there was a different aspect in each scene.”
Bringing Michael Jackson To Life Without A Camera
Kavva has been working in voice acting for around 15 years, having started his journey as a teenager. His introduction to the world of dubbing came through two of his uncles, who were also dubbing artists.
The profession gave him a very different perspective on acting.
“There are no lights, no set, no camera. There is only a headphone and a microphone and a small room where we have to conjure up an entire atmosphere to act those emotions,” he told Hindustan Times.
That challenge becomes even greater when working on a major Hollywood production.
According to Kavva, voice actors are sometimes given only individual scenes rather than the entire film, meaning they may not know everything that happens before or after the moment they are recording. The director helps establish the character’s arc, but the voice actor then has to find the right performance within each scene.
For Michael, that meant following Jaafar Jackson’s portrayal closely while recreating the emotion and tone in Hindi.
A Role Unlike Any Other
Kavva has voiced a wide variety of characters throughout his career, including Robin in Teen Titans Go! and Kai Hiwatari in Beyblade. He has also worked on projects requiring animal voices, including Sharkdog for Netflix.
But portraying Michael Jackson presented a different kind of challenge.
Michael is one of the most distinctive voices and performers in popular culture, while Jaafar Jackson is himself portraying his uncle. Kavva therefore had to work as a bridge between Jaafar’s performance and Hindi-speaking audiences without losing the emotion of the original performance.
The result is another layer of performance within Michael: Jaafar Jackson’s physical portrayal of Michael, accompanied in the Hindi version by Kavva’s vocal interpretation.
For fans discovering the film in Hindi, it offers a different way to experience the story of the King of Pop.
Recognition For Voice Artists
Kavva also used his interview to highlight the work of voice actors, saying that they deserve greater recognition for their contribution to films and television.
He believes award ceremonies could create categories specifically recognising voice performances, pointing out that voice actors work extensively behind the scenes to help international productions reach audiences in different languages.
With Michael, Kavva has now added one of the most iconic figures in entertainment history to his list of characters.
And while audiences see Jaafar Jackson stepping into the role of his uncle on screen, Hindi-speaking viewers hear another performer helping complete that transformation, Ketan Kavva, bringing Michael Jackson’s words and emotions to life in Hindi.
