Now Amazon Alexa users can listen to Amitabh Bachchan's voice at their command.
On Monday, Amazon announced veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan as their first celebrity voice in India. To access the 77-year-old famous baritone, users have to only say “Alexa, say hello to Mr Amitabh Bachchan” on any Alexa-enabled devices.
Bachchan, in a statement published in the Amazon blog, said, “Technology has always given me an opportunity to adapt to new forms. Be it in movies, TV shows, podcasts, and now, I am excited to create this voice experience in partnership with Amazon and Alexa. With voice technology, we are building something to engage more effectively with my audience and well-wishers.”
While Amitabh Bachchan is the first Indian celebrity to voice the Alexa, he isn’t the first celebrity to do so. In 2019, American actor Samuel L Jackson became the first-ever celebrity voice to collaborate with Amazon. His version is only available to users in the United States.
Amazon has not yet revealed the charges for Bachchan’s Alexa voice or even whether this feature will be available outside India. Bachchan's signature baritone voice option won't entirely replace Alexa but instead, be available for certain requests. It will include popular offerings like jokes, weather, shayaris, motivational quotes, and advice.
Speaking about the collaboration with Bachchan, Puneesh Kumar, Alexa's country leader for Amazon India, shared, “Mr Bachchan’s voice is truly memorable for any Indian who has grown-up with Bollywood [commercial Hindi cinema]. This combination delivers a perfect pitch to further delight and simplifies the lives of our customers. We are excited to see how our customers will respond when they use Alexa and hear his voice."