Audible India’s latest original offering is Desi Downunder, described as a ‘coming-of-age story’ about three Indian 20-somethings who travel from Mangalore to learn surf-lifesaving skills at the Coogee Beach in Australia.

The nine-episode series is available on the platform in both English and Hindi and is written by Indian-Australian screenwriter Mithila Gupta and directed by RJ-actor-audio production personality Mantra Mugdh.

Voicing the three principal characters are BAFTA award nominee Adarsh Gourav (as Deven), YouTube star and actor Prajakta Koli (as Meenu) and actor Taaruk Raina (as Rahul). The adrenaline-pumping series aims at being a funny and uplifting comedy about dream fulfilment, culture clash and humanity.

The Telegrph chatted with Adarsh, Prajakta and Taaruk about the series, their tryst with and learnings from doing voicework and why they like listening to podcasts.

What are the primary factors that made you want to be part of Desi Downunder?

Adarsh Gourav: For me, it was the story of the show, my co-actors and the fact that Mantra was directing it. He’s a legend in the audio space and I have always wanted to collaborate with him. When I found out he was going to be directing it, I was really excited.

Prajakta Koli: That is the answer!

Taaruk Raina: That is the answer for me too! I was also excited because my friends are in it and, of course, Mantra, and the fact that I kind of got a chance to connect to Australia again because I went to college there. So, you know, it was a good reunion of culture for me.

Prajakta: I didn’t have to connect to Australia... I have never studied there! (Laughs) But the fact that this was my first audio show was very exciting because it was nothing like anything I have done before.

Do you have anything in common with the characters that you voice and did that help you in understanding and hence voicing them better?

Prajakta: I remember when I was recording this one particular sequence, I felt there was a thing I related to a lot. Meenu (her character) is smart, intelligent and gutsy, but sometimes she’s more gutsy than she actually should be. And I relate to that! (Laughs) There have been times in life when I have been like: ‘Of course, I can do it!’ And then I am like: ‘Oh my God, I can’t do it!’

Taaruk: I don’t know if I have anything in common with Rahul (his character), except for the fact that he’s taken a flight to Australia....

Prajakta: But he has a great sense of humour. You have a great sense of humour!

Taaruk: That could be possible.

Adarsh: For me, it was just the kind of stupid mistakes that Deven (who Adarsh voices) keeps making... like getting ahead of himself a lot of times.... I find that in common with him.

This is an adrenaline-pumping series which takes place in an outdoor location in many parts What were the biggest challenges in bringing alive the vibe and energy of a series like this while voicing it from an audio booth?

Adarsh: There are some scenes where the stakes were of a life-and-death situation. We had to voice scenes where there were no external stimuli and you are surrounded by four glass walls and a mic in front of you, with Mantra trying to hype you up and be like: ‘Yeah, this is happening!’ That, for me, was really challenging, especially as an actor who is used to working in front of the camera, I feel like there’s so much that you receive from your surroundings. And then suddenly, it becomes very challenging when all of that is compressed and fit into one studio and it’s pure audio stimulation that you react to. So I feel that in those scenes, it became challenging for me.

Prajakta: When you are recording scenes on audio, you really realise how dependent you are on tools for video. For example, if I was shooting an emotional scene for a video, I could get my emotions through without actually voicing them. But while recording for something like this, every step, every movement, every effort has to have a sound. It is fun. But it also makes you realise that as people in general, we make so much noise that we don’t sometimes realise that we do.

How much does doing voice work like this benefit you as actors when you face the camera for your other projects?

Taaruk: The way you put out your voice, the way you modulate it, makes a massive difference in your general performance as well. It’s just that you completely focus on that aspect in this medium. If you have not done audio before, you will never realise how much you can actually get out of sound. It definitely helps any performer.

Adarsh: When I go into a studio to dub or do voiceovers is when I actually become aware of the true texture of my voice. And when I can hear myself clearly through the talk back is when I become hyper-aware of: ‘Okay, this is how my voice sounds like. This is the texture of my voice and this is how much I project and this is how I can go up and down with it.’ It becomes almost like a playground for me in terms of how I can use my voice differently.

Voice and body are the two most important instruments you have as an actor. It’s of paramount importance that you train it, you exercise it and I feel like when you get a chance like this to work on an audio show, it’s absolutely a golden opportunity for us to play around and experiment and figure things.

Do you listen to podcasts and audiobooks? What do you like most about this medium as a listener?

Taaruk: I have started listening to a lot of podcasts. I listened to a lot of music in my car, but now if I am stuck somewhere in traffic, I actually put on a podcast. It’s almost like you are in a room, in a conversation and you really get immersed in it. You really get into it and you just don’t know where time goes. Podcasts are educational. You get to dive into something that you might necessarily not know about or you might be very interested in. There is so much information being given. Every single topic has a podcast today... there are no limits to what you can listen to and you discover so many new things. I am really super into it.

Prajakta: I listen to Ranveer’s (Allahbadia) podcast every now and then... I listen to Cyrus (Broacha)... I really like listening to him. I have been listening to a lot of books and I would not like to tell their names or I will be judged! (Laughs) I also listen to Little Things because it’s very special to me because of Mithila (Palkar, who stars in the series and also voices its audio version).

I grew fonder of the platform after I finished recording Desi Downunder a couple of months ago. That’s when I actually started looking out for more content out there. I am hooked now.

How do you explain the recent spurt and interest in audiobooks and podcasts among consumers? What more do you think needs to be done to get more and more people to consume the medium?

Adarsh: I think because everything is becoming shorter and our attention spans are also reducing, listening to a podcast or an audiobook is convenient in a lot of ways. You can be doing anything and be listening to it simultaneously. It doesn’t specifically need your attention... you don’t need to be seated somewhere to give your attention to it. I think it’s the convenience factor that’s really working for the boom in audio shows.

Taaruk: We are in a time where we talk more than we listen, and podcasts and audio as a medium will help people listen more and understand more, rather than, you know, just saying whatever you want all the time....

Prajakta: Unless you are on the podcast... then you can say whatever you want!