Viral Allu Arjun dialogue from Pushpa in Hindi was improvised during dubbing session: Shreyas Talpade

In recent years, Hindi versions of south films have become just as successful as their original language counterparts. In some cases, the dubbed versions have done better than the Hindi releases that came out alongside it. Shreyas Talpade voiced the main character Pushpa Raj for the Hindi version of the Telugu film Pushpa: The Rise (2021). He said most of the Hindi dialogues that went viral online were actually improvised in the dubbing studio. (Also read: Shreyas Talpade reacts to boycott trend, wants ‘wisdom’ for Bollywood celebs)

Starring Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil and Rashmika Mandanna, Pushpa was written and directed by Sukumar. Arjun’s character Pushpa and his interpretation was already a hit, but fans and celebrities have been sharing the film’s catchphrases online since it was released. Shreyas, who has also dubbed for the Hindi version of The Lion King, shared how the team working on the Hindi dub didn’t stick to translating the Telugu dialogues literally, but tried to capture the essence of what the characters were feeling.

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Shreyas revealed that a lot of catchphrases that became popular were ad-libbed in the dubbing booth. He recalled, “There were a lot of improvisations we did during the dubbing sessions for Pushpa. Originally, the literal translation of Allu Arjun’s famous dialogue was ‘Pushpa jayega nahi (Pushpa will not go)’. But to make it more impactful, we made it ‘Pushpa jhukega nahi (Pushpa will not bend)’ and the next thing you know, it has become a rage!

He went on to say, “Similarly, the iconic ‘Flower nahi, fire hai main (Not a flower, I’m fire)’ dialogue did not exist in the original film. We got it improvised in the Hindi dubbed version and even after a year, people are seen referring to it. That was indeed the whole purpose; that instead of literal translation, we improvise it into something that retains the essence of the character but is also memorable for the audience.”

The actor was last seen as cricketer Pravin Tambe in the biopic Kaun Pravin Tambe?. He will next be seen as the former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in Kangana Ranaut’s period drama Emergency. Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhary, Milind Soman and the late Satish Kaushik are also part of the cast.