Quotes from Chinmayi

To be honest, until I started dubbing, I didn't realize the amount of work of a dubbing artiste puts in. Especially the artistes that dub for villains. They really stretch their vocal cords to a different dimension.

I'd rather not be called 'brave.'

I have sung all the songs in '96,' and I have dubbed for the film as well.

I got recognised for my work in 'Guru' as 'Tere Bina' became extremely popular, but very few people know that I have sung major lyrical portions of the song 'Maiyya' as well.

Lekha Washington is a very successful, award-winning product designer, and her company has made some fantastic products in the past few years. Comments from some men calling her 'failure' makes me laugh, really.

When I was offered to sing 'Tere Bina' in 'Guru' by A. R. Rahman sir, it was a surreal experience. The song clicked, and many composers took notice of me and my work then.

Rahman sir has a sweet sense of humour. He chuckles a lot and is very friendly.

Bollywood has a pretty chilled out approach. For instance, we don't wear shoes inside the studio. There is a strict behavioural protocol to be followed in the regional studios, while here in Bollywood, it is more informal.

Women know when a man touches them inappropriately. Hugging one man doesn't mean it is an invitation. Wearing nail polish isn't an invitation.

There's a marked difference between a sexual predator, coercion tactics, and a man hitting on someone with the intention dating/wanting to get to know a girl he likes, however awkward, unpolished it may be.

I'd rather not have to come face to face with predators. I'd rather not be harassed. But no. Those weren't my choices to make, were they?

Of course making money and being able to live life the way one desires is important.

It was one of the best experiences in my life to work with Director Prem.

As a teen, I enjoyed Sufi music and ghazals the most. But as my career began, I drifted off to playback and other streams over the years.

The next time you watch a villain or an actor whom you know to be a non-native speaker of the language, watch the lip-sync. You'll know the amount of work that dubbing artistes have been putting in to elevate the performance of the actors.

The MGR Sivaji awards are organised by the PRO stalwarts in the industry whom I actually respect.

A lot of linguists in the market, especially interpreters of foreign languages, do not have a great command over the English language, especially if they are translating into English.

A man might actually brush off vulgar tweets that come to him. Women are likely to be affected by it.

It is difficult to have the guts to speak up about any kind of sexual assault.

I have won many awards for my singing, and I have sung in 8 languages.

Apart from using it to spread the word about my translation company Blue Elephant and to talk to fans, I find social media an extremely powerful forum for charity.

There is a myth that Rahman sir only works at night. He works through the day and night, so it depends what time slot you end up working with him. Besides nights, I have sung for him in the morning and at noon, too. I think he's the first composer to work at night, and that's why it's spoken about so much.

There is mental as well as physical fatigue. You have to cry, scream, keep on repeating the same dialogue till you get it right.

Of all my dubbing projects, the toughest one has been 'Eega!'