Reacting to the criticism, 'Kanguva' producer KE Gnanavel said that he had held a meeting with the exhibitors and asked them to reduce the sound in the movie by two units.
Published Nov 17, 2024 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 18, 2024 | 2:33 PM
'Kanguva' sound troubles. (X)
Suriya’s recent release Kanguva opened to mixed reviews, with much criticism stemming from the film’s loud soundscape.
Social media was flooded with posts complaining that Kanguva was one of the loudest films in Indian cinema which has caused them ear pain and headache. The film was also criticised for having a poor screenplay.
Reacting to the criticism, Oscar-winner sound designer Resul Pookutty also expressed his pain with such comments related to the sound and said that it was their artistry that was caught up in the “loudness war.”
In the social media post, he further questioned, “Who is to blame?! The sound guy?! or the innumerable fixes come at the last moment to satiate all insecurities. High time our fraternity to put your foot down and say things loud and clear. No film will have a repeat value if the audience walks out with a headache,” he wrote.
Reacting to the criticism, Kanguva producer KE Gnanavel said that he had held a meeting with the exhibitors and asked them to reduce the sound in the movie by two units.
The criticism brought forward many questions on the trend of loud sounds, lack of clarity in dialogue and the potential health risks.
However, Kanguva is not the first film to have such sound effects, the Kannada blockbuster KGF too received similar criticism.
There were complaints that the dialogue wasn’t clear with the loud background score. In the case of KGF 2, the surround was excessively high and at the same time, the centre which is the source of dialogue was very low.
It was then reported that the iniquitous error in the sound-mixing of KGF 2 was corrected by its producers. They had revoked all the sound packages of the film and substituted it with a new soundtrack.
When a Kerala-based exhibitor was asked about reducing the sound in theatres, the exhibitor told South First that it was not a real solution. “The content (digital movie file) came with a loud sound and the makers will have to send a new file to rectify the issue. A new rectified file is expected soon,” he said.
A Bangalore-based sound engineer who didn’t wish to be named seconded with the Kerala-based exhibitor, “A reworked version of the movie including sound is the only solution for this problem.”
Other industry experts opined that similar to KGF 2, Kanguva makers also will send the rectified sound package.
Another exhibitor said that as KGF 2 was having a positive response, there wasn’t much hue and cry about its sound. “But with Kanguva having a negative response, there is a tendency to complain more about its sound,” he said.
While the audience experience is one issue with high sounds, the other major concern is with the health issues it may cause.
With the multiplexes being built with modern sound systems like the Dolby Atmos and DTS X, the high sounds are becoming all the more enhanced causing difficulty for the audience.
An image showing the sound levels reaching 90 decibels while watching Kanguva went viral on social media. This is a real health concern too, especially for cardiac patients.
Kanguva 😭🦅 pic.twitter.com/S9224231eD
— Your tweet is nice, that’s why I (@realrajeshrk) November 14, 2024
One of the audience in a theatre in Kerala sharing his experience said, “I also get disturbed by the huge sound inside theatres. While watching a Tamil movie from one of the leading multiplex chains in India, I experienced palpitations due to high high-decibel sound.”
Similarly, in Kerala also, there are theatres which raise their volume to satisfy the demands of their young patrons.
According to a study by Germany’s Mainz University Medical Center, an increasing amount of noise can actually throw the heart out of rhythm known as atrial fibrillation. This irregular heartbeat can lead to blood clots, stroke, and even heart failure.
“Anything that can create agitation, irritation, or changes in blood pressure can trigger fibrillation,” the study said.
“It’s not surprising that irritable noise, or noise in general when someone is looking for quiet, could trigger this in the cardiac system,” it said.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
