Lost in translation? Not anymore, as subtitles help Indian films reach wider audience

India is home to the world’s largest film industry, both in terms of number of films produced as well as tickets sold. It is also a goldmine when it comes to bringing different cultures and languages on the big screen. And one way these different languages reach a wider audience is via subtitles.

Hollywood has tapped India’s non-English viewers for years, but domestic industries remain half-hearted in their bid to reach viewers outside their home states.

While some are making efforts, subtitling, for many, is either not cost-effective or they lack the vision to see that subtitling makes their films accessible to non- traditional audiences.

Using subtitles for a wider reach is Yash Raj studios. After Salman Khan and Anushka Sharma-starrer Sultan, Yash Raj released its latest offering Sui Dhaaga with English subtitles in south India. Set in a town in Madhya Pradesh, the film has north Indian dialect/words which might get difficult for some viewers to comprehend in the southern parts of the country.

Importance of subtitles in films

Film experts say though subtitling maybe one of the most underrated part of the film-making process, it is actually as important as screen writing. Filmmakers who showcase their work at film festivals have already realized the importance of subtitles. More filmmakers are paying attention with new lucrative international markets like China discovering Indian films.

Subtitles have the power to make stars more familiar and attractive to audiences and producers outside their home turf over time. This, in turn, leads to more inter-regional exchanges of acting talent, more pan-India audiences for all Indian films and ultimately, a better spread of all languages outside states in which they are usually spoken.

Things to remember while subtitling

Experts in this field say subtitles need to be unobtrusive. For this, subtitlers need to know how to work with spotting.

Spotting is determining where a subtitle should start and where it should end in relation to the on-screen action. Two rules need to be followed — one, a subtitle should never overlap with a cut and second, there shouldn’t be more than 15 characters per second — any more strains readability.

Challenges faced while subtitling a film

Recently, English subtitles of a scene from Netflix original Sacred Games made many uncomfortable. In one scene, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi has been described as ‘fattu’, which became 'pussy' in English. One strong word led to a police complaint and then a court case.

The series threw up another subtitling conundrum.  In an episode, a restaurant’s signboard which read “Satyanarayan Shukla Hindu Hotel Shudh Shakahari” was translated as “Upper-caste Hindu Hotel – Pure Vegetarian”. The translation attempted to provide cultural context for foreign audiences. The restaurant’s name became “Hotel di lusso”—luxury hotel in Italian. The word hotel led to the whole confusion, which was retained in English subtitles. This is a result of bridge translation, which is not using the original language as a source.

Another challenge for those who provide subtitles is that they have to work within confines. There is limited time and space for words to fit on the screen, hence subtitles can’t be too long. They have to be such that viewers can read without losing sight of what is happening on screen. Also, information or the essential flavour of the scene should not be lost in translation.

There is no doubt that language can be challenging, especially for subtitlers. Difficult words which are set in a specific linguistic milieu need extra hard work. More localized content can be demanding.

But what can be extremely challenging is dealing with distributors who are in a hurry to release a film. This gives subtitlers less time — around 10-12 days. Also, in India subtitling is usually part of the post-production process. It is also many times given to untrained non-professionals which results in a sub-standard job. In addition, producers think that collections beyond a film’s traditional audience are minuscule and that’s why subtitles are not necessary.