Dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi has claimed that she originally dubbed for Shobana's character in Tharun Moorthy’s Thudarum, starring Mohanlal and Prakash Varma in the lead roles. However, speaking to Saina South Plus, she alleged that the film’s makers replaced her voice with Shobana's voice without informing her. Bhagyalakshmi said that it happened because Shobana insisted she would not attend the film's promotions except if she did not dub for her character.
Bhagyalakshmi claimed that she completed the dubbing for the entire film and that the makers retained some of her work, specifically the shouting and crying in the climax, in the final output. While the makers paid Bhagyalakshmi fully for her work, her not being informed of the same is her main grouse. “Shobana is entitled to dub for her role, and the filmmaker gets to make the final call. However, she or the film’s makers could have called me and told me about it, as I have been part of so many films as a dubbing artist.”
Bhagyalakshmi also claimed that the makers used her voice in the film's climax, because Shobana could not do it with the same intensity. “Shobana does not have the experience for it,” Bhagyalakshmi said.
The artist once famously dubbed for Shobana's Ganga in Manichitrathazhu, besides over 50 other films. In an old interview with Nere Chovve, speaking in relation to her work Manichitrathazhu, Shobana admitted that an actor must dub for their role for it to feel complete. Shobana also said that it is fair to consider an actor for a National Award only if they have dubbed for themselves.
