JOIN USWatching shows with subtitles
But coming to the present day and age, most English films and shows aired on TV are accompanied by subtitles too, the only catch being these subtitles are in the same language — English!
Tune into any English channel like HBO, Star Movies or Star World, you would see the dialogues, word-by-word, at the bottom of the screen, like a blessing in disguise! That’s because those, who have trouble deciphering American or British accent, can easily understand these shows. However, for people who can understand English shows well, these subtitles can be a distraction.
Metrolife speaks to a few television-buffs to find out if they like seeing their favourite English films and TV shows with English subtitles.
Manan Shah, an associate system engineer at IBM, doesn’t care whether the subtitles are there or not. For him, they are not a distraction. “I usually don’t read them. But sometimes, they are helpful if I don’t get what the person on TV is saying.” He adds, “But for people, who are not used to watching English shows, these subtitles are really useful as they help them understand the plot.”
Some people love watching English channels because of these subtitles. Sindhura, a student of architecture at Dayananda Sagar Group of Institutions, says, “My favourite channels are Star Movies and Star World and I find the subtitles quite useful, especially when it comes to shows like Master Chef Australia, where the English is spoken in an Australian accent,” she says.
“Even for crime dramas like Lie To Me and Bones, you need subtitles as they use scientific terms and language many a time.” She adds, “But when it comes to light-hearted American shows like Ugly Betty and How I Met Your Mother, the subtitles may be a bit disturbing. You end up missing out on emotions as you are busy reading the subtitles.”
Then there are those who completely hate the subtitles. Anish, a senior software engineer at Wipro Technologies, finds the subtitles in a movie or TV programme completely distracting.
“It’s always more fun to watch a show and hear as compared to reading stuff. That is why you see such a huge crowd for movies without subtitles, as compared to book releases. Personally, I read more books than I watch movies in a year but I enjoy watching a movie or TV show full screen, with nothing else vying for my attention, specifically subtitles.”