Running on the spot, making hand jabs - how Yashaswini Dayama voice acted for a Marvel series

Yashaswini Dayama

In her second stint with audio shows after Adulting, Yashaswini Dayama feels her voice-acting experience in Audible's Marvel series Wastelanders: Doom has given her new insight and helped her grow as an actor. The series is set 30 years after a battle where supervillains triumphed, leaving many superheroes dead. Dayama voices the character of Valeria Richards, daughter of Reed Richards (Mr Fantastic) and goddaughter of Doctor Doom in the 10-episode show.

"Her superpower is immortality, but unfortunately, that's not a power you easily discover. She lost her family and has lived in guilt for 30 years. Despite this, whenever she learns about any super weapon that once belonged to a hero or villain, she collects it to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands," explains Dayama. Valeria dedicates herself to the cause, which leads to an inevitable confrontation with her godfather.

With every Marvel comic spinning a new universe, Dayama admits her research didn't extend far beyond the script. "I read up a bit and listened to the English version as well. The script provided enough material to understand the character as the story progressed. Whenever I needed to fill in the blanks, I'd just quickly Google the relevance or relationship. I didn't try to find a lot of details outside of that," she says. From watching Marvel movies in English to voicing a character in Hindi posed a unique challenge for Dayama. She initially had doubts about how the established universe would sound in Hindi, but those reservations quickly vanished. "I'd seen some funny translations, and I'd grown up watching cartoons in Hindi, and they felt real and powerful. Words like ‘pitra dev' and ‘sangraksharam' may sound strange, but they still carried weight in context. What really helps is the honesty and commitment with which the actors performed their parts. We're used to hearing these stories in English, and Hindi feels a bit clunky at first. But if you can justify it to yourself, you can sell it to others who are listening," she shares. Dayama also found inspiration in the banter between Saif Ali Khan and Vrajesh Hirjee, who play Star Lord and Rocket, respectively.

The technical demands of audio acting were another learning curve for the actor. Although she primarily recorded alone, Dayama emphasises the importance of fully immersing herself in each scene. "To make it sound authentic, you have to get into it. When I needed to pant, I'd run on the spot. I even made hand jabs. Your heart rate does increase, and it gets exhausting," she confesses, admitting that action scenes were the most challenging to voice. "I couldn't record more than two episodes a day."