Gulabo Sitabo becomes first Indian film in Dolby Atmos on Amazon Prime Video

Shoojit Sircar’s Gulabo Sitabo is the first Indian film to be released with Dolby Atmos sound on Amazon Prime Video. Out on June 12, the satirical comedy stars Amitabh Bachchan as a 78-year-old landlord and Ayushmann Khurrana as his tenant. The Lucknow-set film was sound-designed by Dipankar Chaki (Jojo). The team also included Nihar Ranjan Samal (location sound engineer and sound designer), Sinjoy Joseph (re-recording engineer - theatrical mix), and Sarath Mohan (re-recording engineer - near field Dolby mix).

“We mixed the film for theatre but later decided we were going for a digital release,” Shoojit said. “That was a little challenging but Sinoy and Jojo told me that it's not going to make much difference because of the way they have mixed it.”

Dolby Atmos allows for a more immersive experience through surround sound and moving audio through three-dimensional space. “It’s basically creating an immersive field of audio where the viewer is sitting in one position and experiencing sound from all directions,” Dipankar explained. “It’s about using a variety of sound that can be spectacular or interesting or can be used in a narrative context.”

Mr. Pankaj Kedia, Managing Director, Emerging Markets, Dolby Laboratories said, “Storytelling is a compelling journey. The best stories engage all the senses and enhances the imagination of the audience. ‘Sound’ plays an essential character in Gulabo Sitabo,  and the use of Dolby Atmos effectively serves the story and adds to the visual experience that builds a strong narrative. The creative team has used sound so effectively to build the world of ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ with Dolby Atmos and transport the audience into that world. To leverage ‘sound’ to its full effect, our focus has always been to work with the creatives and provide them with the tool, the know-how and the technology to help deliver the creator’s intent. Dolby Atmos enables that and transports you into the story with moving audio that flows all around you with breathtaking realism. It will render everything from dialogue to music to quiet scenes to ambiances with astonishing clarity, richness, detail, and depth”.

You can watch the team discuss the mix of Gulabo Sitabo here: