Achi news desk-
Mithila Palkar needs no introduction. The dynamic Indian actress and singer who has made a significant mark in the Hindi and Marathi film and digital industry through projects such as Little Things, Karwaan and Chopsticks recently lent her voice to Audible’s podcast series Marvel’s Wastelanders: Wolverine.
Taking place in a rugged, post-apocalyptic setting, “Marvel’s Wastelanders: Wolverine” begins Logan’s, or Wolverine’s, journey through the Wastelands. Here, he faces his troubled past and struggles to stay alive in a bleak world where hope is extremely rare. Sharad Kelkar lends his voice to Wolverine, imbuing the character’s journey with exceptional intensity and intense emotion, enthralling the audience with his ongoing struggle.
Mithila Palkar who voiced Sofia exclusively spoke to News18 Showsha and shared her experience working on the project. He told us, “It was amazing. It was very new for me to play a 16 year old mutant, which I haven’t played as a character before. I haven’t played 16, or I haven’t played mutant. So it was interesting to play a superhero through my voice, which was the most challenging part. Because when you have a vision aid, you are able to express through so many things, as just looking can say so many things. But when you’re going to be heard through your voice, it’s very difficult to express just with that medium. There was so much to learn from Mantra, in fact, who was directing us then. So the motion and the punch and the movement and the angle and the size, probably every emotion had to be expressed through the voice. And that was very challenging, but exciting at the same time.”
Having worked in this space before, Mithila also described if her experience this time was different from last time, “It’s always been amazing working with Audible. To begin with, I had to sing the cover of Kulkarni, which I have been living and breathing for so many years. So it was really I would say, so easy. Like you can wake me up in the middle of the night and say, Hey, you have to play Kavya and I would be able to do it, because that’s how close I am to that character. So the only difference here was that I was playing a character that was so new to me. So I was feeling a bit worried, how will I be able to do this. But, they always make it so fun. And so exciting and so challenging. . And I’m so glad that Audible chooses to tell all these stories and brings so many different stories now even to India, from all over the world. There are so many different things they try to do through books and through series and through general podcasts. So I’m glad I get to be a part of this world. And I’m glad they’re thinking of me,” he added.
Speaking further about what appealed to her about this particular podcast series, especially in the context of her character Sofia, Mithila said, “First of all, hey, I get to be a part of Marvel. So that was not a good idea. Of course, it’s exciting to be able to play a mutant, which I haven’t done before. I haven’t played a superhero. I got to do so many fun action sequences. But still, like, you know, you throw punches, you jump from somewhere. And all these, being able to express just through your voice was so interesting to learn. And so challenging. So, that was fun. The other thing was that Sophia is 16. And she has had a tragic childhood, she has lost her parents, yet she is so resilient. She is so hopeful, and that’s what I love about her, even though she lives in a post-apocalyptic world, she still finds that there is some hope in the world and that she can also contribute to bring about that change.”
Recalling a memorable moment from her time at the studio, Mithila shared, “There was one particular scene I remember where Wolverine and Sophia had to jump over a bridge and it had to be done as if that bridge breaks And you also have to adjust your voice right? Because you go up and down. So using that kind of voice modulation and learning to do that was very, very interesting. And then I started to enjoy it a little too much. So I told mantra that I will also be part of the crowd, in the background if more fillers and voices were needed Because when you have a vision aid, there is so much more you can see when I speak. If you ever meet me, see me, see my work, you will know that I use my hands a lot to express. So all my other assistants slipped away, and then I got to use my voice and that’s so thrilling and liberating, in a way.”
The actress then asked about podcast becoming a popular entertainment medium, “Podcasts have already taken over. I feel that it is much more convenient to have audiobooks, thanks to Audible. And it also happened because I realized that I’m not an avid reader, I don’t want to come across as someone who says, ‘Oh, I read so many books’. Whatever little I read, I enjoy reading. Reading on the move isn’t necessarily the best thing to do, especially when you’re tired. And I listen to music all the time. So I was like, hey, why not listen to stories? There were so many books that I read during my shoot, because a lot of time on set as an actor is spent waiting. And you wait between scenes. So I realized that this is a great way to use the time and plug in your headphones, when you are doing your makeup. Then you can consume entertainment like this, I was able to get through so many books because of this. So I feel like it’s going to grow. There’s so much more you can do with your voice that I can’t even imagine and I can’t wait for myself to see what’s in store,” she said.
