Sound designing isn't being taken seriously: Resul Pookutty

Resul Pookutty, who jointly inaugurated the city-based The Lissy Lakshmi Dubbing Studios, along with Kamal Haasan, said filmmakers, despite making dialogue-oriented films, haven't understood the importance of "quality" sound.  He pointed out that the industry is increasingly opting for sync sound these days while actually shooting live.

"Sound designing is such an important aspect of filmmaking, and it hasn't been taken seriously in Kollywood. When I design sound for Tamil films, I make sure to get my own mic and related equipment. Sometimes, I even get my carpenters to re-do the studio, in order to get the best quality sound," he said.

Pookutty feels that people generally only pay attention to the music and background score. "I honestly feel we don't give importance to on-the-spot recording. We spend money on everything except sound. Very few directors are worried about sound over the image, and understand its due importance," he added.

The sound designer expressed his desire to work with Kamal Haasan, who was present at the event. "He has been introducing new techniques to Tamil cinema on par with Hollywood films. I know he should have got Oscars, but Rahman and I ended up getting it," he laughed. 

Kamal Haasan, too, emphasised the importance of live sound recording. He recalled how it used to be challenging during the 80s. "Films are primarily a visual medium, but sound plays a key role. We didn't have high-end equipment during our K Balachander days. Actors needed to remember our dialogues. But now, we've progressed so much that we have even forgotten to analyse things."

The actor took time out to comment on the ongoing cinema theatre shutdown in the state, following the government's decision to levy 30 per cent tax on top of GST, when he declared, "The entire industry will come together and speak as one voice soon."