Mukul Dev was an actor of many skills. Not only did actor Mukul Dev dub for Naseeruddin Shah in Jagmohan Mundhra’s Shoot On Sight, but he was also asked to mimic the baritoned Shah to the minutest detail.
Revealing details of just how closely Mundhra monitored Mukul’s mouthed manoeuvres a close friend of Mundhra reveals, “Once Naseer made it clear that he wouldn’t dub for the Hindi version of my film, Jag Mundhra began to search for a voice that would replicate Naseer’s speaking voice as well as speech patterns and intonations also. Jag was very clear that he wanted an actor to dub Naseer. Only then would the dubbing artiste understand what how and why Naseer was trying to say what he was.”
That in place, Mundhra personally sat down with Mukul for the dubbing to make sure he got the nuances of Naseer’s voice right.
Recalled Mukul, “Yes, Jag Mundhra made me mimic Naseer down to every detail. This was the only dubbing that Mundra supervised personally. He was with me to dub all of Naseer Saab’s lines.”
The late Jag Mundhra was all praise for Mukul Dev’s dubbing skills. “Mukul Dev sounded exactly like Naseer. But he is not Naseer. So what? Finally, people go to see a film, not to hear who’s speaking, or not.”
