A Few Sound Men review: Penetrating documentary that makes a noise about an overlooked field

On the 94th anniversary of the world’s first talkie, The Jazz Singer (1927), it is important to note how the arrival of sound in feature films has both changed and elevated cinema. Closer to home, the documentary short A Few Sound Men (2019) by Avinash Anthony serves as a primer for those who are ignorant of the craft and those who engage in it.

Using the expertise of a number of sound designers across India, in Mumbai, Chennai and Kochi, the short begins by making us understand the profession. One quote by one of the sound designers sticks out in particular: “Sound design is not about making you hear things, it's about making you feel things,” he states.

Many film audiences are ignorant about the actualities of sound design, which happens to be a largely male-dominated field. Veteran sound designer and three-time National award winner Bishwadeep Chatterjee, who has worked on films such as Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Uri: The Surgical Strike (2018), wryly shares even his mother wasn’t sure what exactly he did for a living.

But the short establish how these folk understand the story and characters and labour to make you feel emotions through their sound – be it effect or tone. A Few Sound Men features interviews with a number of experts such as Dileep Subramanian, Parikshit Lalwani, Kunal Mehta, Vinod Subramaniam, Kunal Sharma, Allwin Rego and Sanjay Maurya, Debashish Mishra, and Madhu Apsara. Together, they have been a part of films like Jab We Met (2007), Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), Kahaani (2012) and Badlapur (2015).

The consensus seems to be that sound should be discreet in filmmaking. They believe if you notice their work, they’ve done a bad job. A few also joke about sound design — the frequent difficulties they face and how invisible they are in the larger picture of filmmaking.

But that doesn’t mean we, as an audience, shouldn’t appreciate the diligent work they do, operating in often challenging circumstances to get the job done.

The sound designers also opened up about the lack of resources their profession receives. While their Hollywood counterparts get three to four months in post-production to complete their work, here in India, they usually have a month.

A Few Sound Men also delves into the major and minor changes in the profession, with the arrival of sync sound and how dubbing is done by veteran actors while the newer generation isn’t used to replicating their performance in a recording studio. They especially point out the distinction between pitch and volume, which makes a world of a difference when working with actors during the dubbing process.

Delightfully, the short also highlights the oft-neglected work of foley artists and includes the inputs of veterans Sajjan Choudhary and Karnail Singh. The sound designers note what an art foley work is, recreating key sounds and effects in post-production, and these artistes have a dedication to their work which is exemplary.

The short also explains how the field has evolved over the years, and how the shift to digital has changed the nature of the job completely. Going digital implies a certain loss to the art of sound, which in turn, brings lesser respect to the process. Not everyone understands the need for sound and where to use it.

The short’s own sound designer Sreejesh Nair uses basic examples to educate the uninformed. Avinash Anthony, with Sumer Kotwal, has created both an introductory and penetrating look into the world of sound design, letting viewers in on the necessary but thankless work that makes cinema the emotional rollercoaster ride that it is.

A Few Sound Men is being streamed on YouTube.