Last updated: 7 November 2026
Sharad Kelkar is the Hindi voice of Yash’s Ravana in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1. In new interviews, he says the job was far from easy, and that he went as far as running to the studio to get Ravana’s breathlessness right in chase scenes.
Why Yash’s Ravana Needed a Hindi Voice
Yash speaks Hindi well, but Kannada is his main language. The team felt his accent and rhythm with Hindi words did not suit the Hindi version, so they brought in a dubbing artist, Kelkar explained to Variety India.
The offer came through a friendly call with Nitesh Tiwari, whom Kelkar had long wanted to work with.
How Sharad Kelkar Dubbed Ravana
- Short daily sessions: about three hours each morning, because his voice changes through the day.
- Acting it out: he performs action beats in the booth, moving his whole body to match the scene.
- Chase scenes: he ran to the studio before recording, so the breathlessness would be real.
- Close-mic moments: he moved in close for intimate scenes, such as Ravana’s exchanges with Vidyutjihva.
His rule for the character: Ravana must never sound confused or unsure. The one exception is the ten-heads scene, where Ravana weighs whether to go to war. That session ran past three hours.
His Favourite Ravana Scenes
Kelkar picked three: the opening, where Ravana seeks boons from Brahma; the Vidyutjihva scene; and the ten-heads scene. He praised Yash as hard-working and generous with ideas, and called Ravana Yash’s toughest role.
The Legend of Hanuman Connection
Kelkar credits his voice work as Lankesh in the animated series The Legend of Hanuman for landing the role, IWMBuzz reports. Catch up on The Legend of Hanuman Season 7.
He has also been the Hindi voice of Prabhas in Baahubali, and played Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Tanhaji.
His Frustration With How Voice Work Is Treated
Kelkar says he feels under-used as an actor. He is not unhappy with the film industry as a whole, he says, but with producers who treat voice acting as an afterthought, as if anyone could voice a lead’s emotional performance.
Read More on Ramayana
See our Ramayana Part 1 review, the full cast guide, and who plays young Ravana.
FAQs
Who dubbed Yash’s voice in Ramayana Hindi?
Sharad Kelkar voices Yash’s Ravana in the Hindi version.
Why was Yash dubbed in Ramayana?
Because the team felt his Kannada accent did not fit the Hindi version’s dialogue rhythm.
Who else has Sharad Kelkar dubbed for?
He is best known as the Hindi voice of Prabhas in Baahubali, and voices Lankesh in The Legend of Hanuman.
