Meet The Voice Behind COVID-19 Caller Tune: Jasleen Bhalla

Everytime you dial any number and hear the iconic caller tune about coronavirus, it is Jasleen Bhalla, a Delhi-based voiceover artist, giving out awareness instructions on a daily basis. As India has replaced ringtones with default caller tunes, we hear this Delhiite urging us to fight against the pandemic. She admits that none of her previous gigs was as important as the latest. “My family knows it’s me on the other end of the cell phone so in a way it has made them more cautious about following guidelines, wearing masks and using sanitisers,” said she.

“Coronavirus se aaj poora desh lad raha hai, yaad rahe humain bimari se ladna hai, bimaar se nahi (The entire country is fighting against coronavirus, but remember we have to fight the disease, not the patient)" this message is a part of our daily lives now.

A former sports journalist, Jasleen has been working in the advertisements industry for over ten years now.

​“I had actually recorded the message for a production house in the last week of March, I didn’t know it was meant for a public campaign. Now I can’t help but feel a certain sense of pride whenever I hear it,” ​the 40-year-old Pune Mirror.

What You Should Know

• Jasleen Bhalla is the voice-over artist behind coronavirus caller tune.
• The 40-year-old is a former sports journalist.
• She has been working in the advertisements industry for over ten years.
• Being a responsible citizen, Jasleen has only stepped out of the house twice in the last two months

A former sports journalist, Jasleen has been working in the advertisements industry for over ten years now. Although, she is overwhelmed with the sudden popularity, Jasleen told Pune Mirror that she feels responsible for the citizens to follow norms and thus is satisfied with the reach and how famous her voice has become. “That came easy for me. I’m the child of an Army officer, I was taught discipline and responsibility at a young age,” said ​the English graduate from Delhi University’s Khalsa College.

Being a responsible citizen, Jasleen has only stepped out of the house twice in the last two months. When it all started, she received fan mails and warm messages from her friends. “Initially, within a few days, friends started forwarding memes, telling me ‘We know this is your voice…but ab bus bhi karo yaar’. Funny part is when you are calling someone… you also get to hear that thing. It’s a little out-of-body experience,” says the voice-over artiste, Hindustan Times reported.

“It was just an essential step to sort of drill into everyone’s minds that you have to wear a mask, wash your hands etc, use a sanitiser. So at times a bitter pill also does its work,” she adds.

So how did her family and her husband react to the voice message? She revealed, “Well my husband was pleasantly surprised in the beginning but now he’s used to it, I suppose. I guess I have trained his ears well, being an excessive talker anyway.”

Also Read: This Doctor In Assam Is Designing Masks & Shields For Healthcare Staff At Home

Jasleen started working shortly after her graduation. She started out as a sports journalist and became producer with different channels. “In 2010, I started reaching studios with my voice sample. Then it hit me that this audio world was way bigger than I realised. I started going for auditions and working on my skills because doing voice-over professionally is a different ball game altogether. It is pretty much like acting, as it is voice acting,” she claimed. Today, she is overjoyed that people recognise her work.

Feature Image Credit: Sangbad Pratidin

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