Amitabh Bachchan to be Alexa’s first Indian celebrity voice

The feature will be launched by 2021

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is set to be the first Indian celebrity voice on Amazon’s digital assistant Alexa. Amazon on Monday announced its partnership with Amitabh Bachchan.

“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,” Bachchan said in a statement.

In a statement, Puneesh Kumar, Country Leader for Alexa, Amazon India, said that Amitabh Bachchan’s voice is truly ‘memorable for any Indian who has grown up with Bollywood’.

“Cricket and Bollywood are integral to Alexa’s unique Indian personality. Mr. Bachchan’s voice is truly memorable for any Indian who has grown-up with Bollywood. 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,” he said.

In a blog post, Amazon said users will have to purchase the voice experience for Alexa. “It will include popular offerings like jokes, weather, shayaris, motivational quotes, advice and more," the company said in its post.

Though Bachchan is the first Indian celebrity to lend his voice to Alexa, he follows actor Samuel L. Jackson who was revealed as Alexa’s first ever celebrity voice in September last year.

Bachchan’s voice feature will be launched in 2021, and users will have to say: “Alexa, Say Hello to Mr. Amitabh Bachchan”.