Tamil Audio Description Services
Tamil audio description for films, written and voiced by native Tamil speakers, delivered for CBFC certification, DCP and OTT, and playing in any cinema on KinoSync.
Tamil cinema and accessibility
Tamil cinema is one of the largest film industries in the country, with big-budget action releases that open across India and in Singapore, Malaysia and the UK on the same weekend. Those international markets already expect accessible screenings for major releases. A Tamil feature with same-language audio description and captions meets the CBFC requirement at home and the expectations abroad with one set of deliverables.
Tamil is spoken across Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia, and the Tamil diaspora worldwide, and a Tamil release now needs same-language closed captions and audio description for CBFC certification. One Tamil film already plays with audio descriptionon KinoSync, in ordinary cinemas, on the audience member's own phone.
Tamil audio description: what changes
Tamil mainstream films move fast: action set pieces, large casts, rapid cutting and songs staged as spectacle. Audio description has to prioritise ruthlessly, choosing the one detail in a crowded frame that the story needs and saying it in the half-second available. Our Tamil describers write in spoken Tamil, matching the film's register rather than the formal written language, and we cast narrators whose voice can sit against a loud mix without being lost.
Tamil dialogue carries honorifics and forms of address that encode relationships, and the description has to use them the same way the characters do. Signboards, phone screens and on-screen text in Tamil are read out in full where they matter to the plot. Every cue is timed against the locked edit, and the narration is recorded in a treated studio and checked against picture before delivery.
Audio description for CBFC certification
Under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's accessibility guidelines for feature films (issued 15 March 2024) and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules 2024, feature films submitted for CBFC certification from 15 March 2026 must carry closed captions and audio description. The files are uploaded with the certification application, and the CBFC checks that they are present before the certificate is issued. A missing track means a withheld certificate and a delayed release. Regional-office practice varies in the details, so we confirm the exact submission format with your censor agent at briefing.
The requirement is for same-language audio description: a Hindi film is described in Hindi, a Gujarati film in Gujarati. An English description does not satisfy it and does not serve the audience. We write and voice in the language of the film with native-speaker describers, and we deliver the file in the form the submission needs alongside the closed caption file, so the two tracks go in together.
- Same-language narration by native-speaker describers and voice artists
- Standard audio description in the natural pauses, extended description where a film leaves no pauses
- Delivered as the file the certification upload requires, with the matching closed caption track
- Available for theatrical, OTT and broadcast versions of the same title from one script
Working back from the certification date
Typical durations for a feature-length film from locked picture. Dates are confirmed at briefing.
- 1Locked picture and briefDay 0We need the locked edit with timecode, the dialogue script and any director's notes. Picture changes after this point mean re-spotting the affected reels.
- 2Spotting and script7 to 10 working daysEvery cue is mapped and written by a native-speaker describer, then edited for timing, clarity and spoilers. You review the script before recording.
- 3Recording2 to 3 working daysA professional narrator records in a treated studio. You can approve the voice from samples before the session.
- 4Mix, QC and conform3 to 5 working daysThe narration is mixed and ducked, every cue is checked against picture, and files are conformed for the DCP lab, the certification upload and each platform.
- 5DeliveryAbout 3 weeks from locked pictureTypical for a feature. Shorter schedules are possible for shorter films or when the script can start on a near-locked cut; we confirm dates at briefing.
Delivery specification
| Script | Timecoded description script (DOCX or PDF, plus CSV on request), reviewed against the locked edit |
|---|---|
| Narration stem | Description-only audio, 48 kHz / 24-bit WAV, cue-aligned to picture |
| AD mix | Narration mixed with your full mix and ducked under dialogue, stereo or 5.1 as your lab or platform specifies |
| Cinema | Additional audio track for your DCP via your lab, and a synced KinoSync track for any screening |
| OTT and broadcast | Separate AD audio track to the platform's delivery specification (Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar, ZEE5, Sony LIV and broadcasters) |
| CBFC | AD file in the form required for the certification upload, supplied with the closed caption file |
| Languages | Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Haryanvi and English, with native-speaker describers and narrators |
How we work
- 1Brief & spotWe review the locked edit and map every description cue.
- 2ScriptSpecialist describers write narration tuned to tone and pacing.
- 3RecordProfessional voice artists record in a treated studio.
- 4QC & deliverWe check every cue against picture and deliver to spec.
Tamil films with Audio Description on KinoSync
Every Tamil title below plays with audio description on the KinoSync app in any cinema showing it. Open a film to see the tracks it carries.
Audio Description in other Indian languages
Each language page is backed by films already delivered on KinoSync.
Frequently asked
Do you have native Tamil describers and narrators?
Yes. Tamil audio description is written and voiced by native Tamil speakers, in the register of the film, not translated from a Hindi or English script. The narrator is cast for the genre and you can approve the voice from samples before recording.
Which Tamil films already have audio description on KinoSync?
One Tamil film currently plays with audio description on KinoSync: Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh. Each has its own page on this site with the tracks it carries, and the track plays in any cinema showing the film.
Does Tamil audio description satisfy the CBFC requirement for a Tamil film?
Yes. The certification requirement is for same-language accessibility files, so a Tamil feature needs Tamil audio description. We deliver the file in the form required for the certification upload, together with the closed caption file, and confirm the submission format with your censor agent.
How do Tamil-speaking audiences get the track in a cinema?
Through KinoSync. The Tamil audio description track is published on the KinoSync app and plays on the viewer's own phone, synced to the screening, in any cinema showing the film. Theatres install nothing and there is no separate accessible showing.