Amitabh Bachchan, the legendary Indian actor, is the first Indian celebrity to offer his voice to Amazon’s AI helper Alexa. The new tool was launched on Thursday by the US internet giant. Bachchan is a megastar not only in India, but also in Asia and the Middle East, having acted in over 200 films. He is still Bollywood’s biggest celebrity at the age of 78.
He’s known for his powerful, deep baritone, which means most Indians can recognise him even if they can’t see him, making him an ideal candidate to play Alexa. According to Amazon, “Amit ji” can now be used as a wake word to summon the Bollywood legend and hear him speak in Hindi or English.
In a statement, Puneesh Kumar, Alexa’s India representative, said, “Building the Amitabh Bachchan celebrity voice experience with one of India’s most renowned voices has been a labour of love.”
Users can listen to stories from Bachchan’s life, motivational messages, tongue twisters, and a selection of poems by his father, famed Hindi poet Harivanshrai Bachchan, in addition to hearing the legendary actor’s voice when interacting with Alexa.
The actor expressed his delight that his fans will now be able to “interact” with him through the new medium. In a statement, Bachchan stated, “I am looking forward to hearing how people feel about this.” For one thing, Mohan Bhargava, a New Delhi-based business specialist, is pleased.
