Some voices tell stories without ever appearing on screen. Soundarya Jayachandran is one of them. The Bengaluru-born singer, songwriter and voice-over artist has earned a National Film Award, taking home Best Narration/Voice Over for her work on the wildlife documentary Little Planet: A Tale of Frogs. Being honoured by President Droupadi Murmu is a memory she will always treasure. Yet, beyond the recognition, it is the stories and the possibility of giving them a voice, that continue to drive her.“To be very honest, it still feels like there is so much more work to do,” she says in an interview with Bangalore Times. For Soundarya, the award is a welcome recognition of “all the quiet hours of hard work” that often go unnoticed. “Just to know you’re doing the right thing for someone out there and it is making an impact on the world is a greater gift for me,” she adds.
‘A wildlife trek led to this collaborative project’The film came about through an unexpected meeting during a wildlife trek in the Western Ghats. “We decided to work together in 2024. He (Suhas Premkumar) created the film, and I did the voice-over. It’s funny how a wildlife trek led us to this collaboration, and now it has brought us this recognition,” she recalls.When the filmmaker called to tell her about the National Award, she initially struggled to process the news. “I just asked him, ‘Which National?’ It’s not clocking to me at all,” she says with a laugh. “I had to, in fact, go back and look at every publication to make sure that I was understanding it right.”The award ceremony was equally surreal, especially as Soundarya shared the occasion with celebrated artistes such as Anant Nag and Mammootty. “It was fantastic to see that you were being put on the same pedestal as these greats,” she says. “Their artistry is just so wonderful. And it’s just a class apart.” The moment, she adds, went by quickly. “It just got over as soon as it began. The moment was very short. And I won’t forget it. It is one for the books.”‘Voice-over is an integral part of storytelling’For Soundarya, voice-over is an integral part of storytelling, even if the artiste remains unseen. She believes every department contributes to bringing a film together.She adds that people working behind the scenes should never underestimate their contribution simply because they are not visible on screen. “I don’t want people or artistes to feel that just because they cannot be seen on the screen, they have not made what is on the screen possible. You are still a very, very important part of it,” she says.For her, the intention behind a project matters as much as the recognition. “Everyone’s work needs to be recognised. But, you don’t approach it with that in mind. You approach it differently, and somehow that approach helps you bring out the best in yourself,” she adds.‘I want to do more wildlife documentaries’Having spent years watching wildlife documentaries narrated by David Attenborough, Soundarya was excited to lend her voice to the world of amphibians in Little Planet. “To see how beautiful these organisms are, how they exist in their quiet world of wonder, really inspired me to do justice to the film,” she says.She hopes to keep lending her voice to wildlife and conservation films that bring important stories to light. “I already have music to nourish my right brain; I want something to feed my left brain. Through voice overs, I want to tell stories rooted in fact, not only the metaphysical,” she says.
