The dubbing bug

Technology is constantly changing and in ways unusual and quirky. One can easily get the latest applications on their phones. The latest one to have caught everyone’s fancy is ‘Dubsmash’, a mobile app that helps one create short selfie videos dubbed with famous sounds.  Available on Android and Apple phones, it is done in a lighter vein and can evoke a few good laughs.

The background sounds could range from celebrity lines to songs. The celebrities too are taking to it in a big way by mouthing dialogues and songs from films. Needless to say, youngsters are lapping it up and flaunting it too. They talk about what attracts them to this trend.

This too shall pass
Chandni, a final-year student with The Oxford College of Science, says that the application has become a ‘popularity contest’ now. “Though ‘Dubsmash’ has been around for a while, it has become a ‘must do’ thing now. I see people making videos every other day now just like they used to post selfies a while back. But like any other new application or trend, this fad too shall pass and a new one will emerge.”

Flashback forward
Simran Sharma, a student of St Joseph’s College of Commerce, says, “Making ‘Dubsmash’ videos is a lot of fun and often an interesting group activity. A lot of time goes into the making of these videos. One has to look into a lot of specifics like getting the timing correct and synchronising the dialogues. Many popular dialogues, like the ones from ‘Sholay’ and other classic movies, are highly sought-after while making these videos.”

Silly side up
Ali, a third-year student of mechanical engineering from TJohn Institute of Technology, says that social platforms like Facebook and Whatsapp, are flooded with ‘Dubsmash’ videos now. “There is an overload of videos these days. There are even friendly competitions on these social platforms, for who gets the most ‘Likes’. There are also online contests offering prizes. People are not worried about letting their silly side out and being remembered for that.”

Celebrities unplugged
Tina, a final-year student from The Oxford College of Arts, points out that ‘Dubsmash’ is the latest fad and a lot of fun. “This brings out the lighter side of celebrities and gives a chance to fans to see them at their humourous best. Even Bollywood actors like Ranveer Singh, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Sonakshi Sinha have been sharing funny and quirky videos. Even a sportsperson like Saina Nehwal made one a few days back. That makes it very interesting.”

Exit selfie, enter ‘Dubsmash’
Mohammed Zikrulla, a third year BE Information Science student from TJohn Institute of Technology, says that just like ‘selfies’ are a fad, this application too has become a self-obsessive trend. He says, “Some people just go out of their way and make way too many videos. Many of these are repetitive too. The application by itself is fun but almost everyone is doing a video now, which makes it a bit boring. After all, variety is the spice of life, isn’t it?”

As told to Tini Sara Anien