Breakout anime Solo Leveling has been giving the competition a run for the money. The series based on Chugong’s popular webtoon has long surpassed once seemingly unbeatable names in the industry such as One Piece, Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen on the OTT front. With Crunchyroll granting exclusive access to the beloved action adventure to the international audience, the go-to anime streaming giant has equally crossed great heights to bridge the gap between audiences across borders.
With localisation as a massy advantage in its palm, Crunchyroll has helped expand the anime fanbase by welcoming viewers who once couldn’t have imagined being roped into this pop-culture phenomenon. Inevitably, India has emerged as a massive market comprising anime lovers galore. What may have initially seemed like an insurmountable feat with the Indian anime wave – deemed as a niche overreach – has now cracked open the Pandora’s Box of opportunities.
About Solo Leveling’s Indian voice actor
In late January, Solo Leveling Season 2 Indian dubs – Hindi, Tamil and Telugu – arrived belatedly on Crunchyroll, just weeks after the original version started streaming on the platform. The Hindi dub of Solo Leveling Season 2 specifically brought back a fan-favourite Indian voice actor to reprise his standout role as the show’s unmistakable protagonist, Sung Jiwoo: Rajesh Shukla. The Indian artist has worn countless guises in Hindi-dubbed counterparts of Hollywood, anime, American TV and K-drama hits, including Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Spongebob Squarepants’ Patrick Star and Squidward Tentacles, Netflix’s Stranger Things and Sweet Home and Korean drama Vincenzo, to name a few.
With love for anime catching momentum in India at an unmatched pace, even Crunchyroll couldn’t ignore the impact of such a huge market. As a result, the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 introduced the brand-new category ‘Best Hindi Voice Artist Performance’ this year. Rajesh Shukla’s contribution to Solo Leveling’s Hindi dub ultimately even earned a noticeable nod in the 2025 nominees list.
In an exclusive interaction with the Financial Express, the Indian voice artist opened up about the possibility of India creating long-standing and unforgettable cult favourite anime characters like One Piece’s Monkey D Luffy, Dragon Ball’s Goku and Jujutsu Kaisen’s Satoru Gojo and the barriers that need to be overcome to achieve that feat.
Solo Leveling interview
What makes the webtoon-based anime stand out and resonate with fans?
Solo Leveling’s record-breaking streak does not come as a surprise to Rajesh Shukla who voices the primary main character, Sung Jinwoo. He attributes the anime adaptation’s successful run to its story “filled with thrilling battles, powerful enemies and unpredictable challenges,” all of which has undoubtedly played an indispensable role in keeping viewers engaged.
Firmly standing by his character, the Indian voice artist also noted, “The protagonist, Sung Jinwoo, starts as one of the weakest hunters but steadily grows into an incredibly powerful figure. I think fans love seeing his evolution. His journey of self-improvement is something many can relate to, especially those who enjoy the idea of going from ‘zero to hero’.”
Affirming that the Solo Leveling MC is “very close” to his heart, Shukla further spilled details surrounding his experience dubbing for it. “It is definitely one of the most challenging characters I have dubbed, though it comes very naturally to me,” he said.
On voice acting, playing Solo Leveling’s Sung Jinwoo
Spilling a personal truth, he confessed, “I relate to the character because I recently met with an accident, and while I was in the hospital, I was also asking for one more chance to get back on my feet, just like Jinwoo did in the first season.” Rajesh revealed that he loves the Solo Leveling character so much that even as he was tussling with his circumstances in the hospital, his only concern was to be on his feet as soon as possible and get into the studio to dub his “favourite character.”
When asked how challenging it is to switch between different characters, especially given his vast filmography credits, the Sung Jinwoo star humbly affirmed that he just loves “being different characters.” Consequently, it doesn’t translate much into a hardship for him as an actor.
I was equally curious to dig into whether voice actors also face the bane of many actors’ careers: typecasting. However, Rajesh Shukla confirmed that he hadn’t really faced those circumstances himself. “I am fortunate to have encountered many different and challenging characters throughout my career,” he replied.
More possibilities of an Indian anime
India has its share of animation projects on deck. However, the official “anime” tag hasn’t often been associated with these offerings. We find the most prominent living proof of the same in Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, a 1993 anime film co-produced by Japan and India. The iconic feature witnessed a surreal 4K resurrection earlier this year in Indian cinemas in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
With that big-screen memory fresh in mind, Rajesh Shukla admitted he would love to see Mahabharata adapted as an anime. “Mahabharata could make an amazing anime series with its rich storyline, complex characters, intense action, and deep moral dilemmas. It has all the ingredients for a great anime series. The epic spans multiple generations and is filled with gods, warriors, and intricate battles, which could be visually stunning when brought to life in anime form.”
Beyond these epics and their animated adaptations, the world of Indian animation has blessed us with childhood favourites like Chhota Bheem and Roll No 21. But one can’t help but question if this branch of the Indian cinema can also create characters that could stand the test of time — like anime icons Luffy, Goku or Gojo, who’ve gained a sense of immortality in pop culture at the moment.
As a voice actor, the Solo Leveling star had no qualms with his fellow contemporaries contributing to the dubbing industry. Taking a firm stance, he confidently asserted, “Indian voice actors can certainly bring diverse characters to life.” However, unlocking the remarkable feat poses several obstacles, namely “resources and production support.”
“India requires significant investment in animation and technology. Talent-wise, we are confident that we can achieve anything. We just need a robust infrastructure,” Shukla added.
India’s growing love for anime
The Solo Leveling voice actor also noted how India’s acceptance towards anime had transformed in the past few years. With internet gaining the attention as the hub all things and the advent of anime-dedicated platforms like Crunchyroll, the conversation around this category of entertainment has changed drastically.
“This expanded the audience beyond children to a much larger demographic, including teenagers and adults,” said Rajesh Shukla. “Over time, India’s young adult audience became more receptive to anime’s different genres—action, romance, thriller, and psychological dramas, which aren’t typically present in mainstream Indian TV shows and movies. Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have enabled fans to share their love for anime.”
Despite anime’s booming popularity, Shukla doesn’t believe that it has hit the ceiling yet. “Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have enabled fans to share their love for anime. I believe it is just a start. The sky is the limit from here on.”
Alongside Rajesh Shukla, the Hindi voice cast for Solo Leveling Season 2 featured Rana Daggubati as Elf King Barca, Riya Sengupta as Sung Jinah, Ayushi as Han Song-Yi, Sakshi Sharma as Park Heejin, Harshvardhan Sharma as Go Myunghwan and others. The first two seasons of Solo Leveling (and Indian dubs) are streaming on Crunchyroll.
Shukla is up against Abhishek Sharma (Einar) – Vinland Saga Season 2, Lohit Sharma (Satoru Gojo) – Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Natasha John (Frieren) – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Ranjit R Tiwari (Yoichi Isagi) – Blue Lock Season 2 and Rushikesh Phunse (Kafka Hibino) – Kaiju No 8 for the Best Hindi Voice Artist Performance category at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards slated for Sunday, May 25, live from Tokyo, Japan.