Amazon has taken the decision to team up with the Bollywood celebrity Amitabh Bachchan who will be lending his voice to Amazon’s digital assistant.
Bachchan’s voice will soon be on Alexa making him the first Indian celebrity voice on Alexa. This new addition to Amazon’s digital assistance is set to launch next year and will be a part of paid experience. But enthusiasts can try it out right now by saying this into any Alexa-enabled device: “Alexa, say hello to Mr. Amitabh Bachchan.”
The new skill which is endearingly called the Bachchan Alexa skill can perform a limited set of tasks, such as telling jokes, reporting the weather, giving advice, sharing Urdu poetry or Shayari, offering motivational quotes, and more.
“Technology has always given me an opportunity to adapt to a new form,” Mr. Bachchan said in a mailed statement. “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.” Certainly, Amitabh Bachchan is one of the biggest stars of Bollywood, and his voice which could be discerned amidst the sea of voices.
Emphasizing this point, Amazon India’s Alexa experiences leader Puneesh Kumar has stated, “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.”
Although Amitabh Bachchan is the first Indian celebrity to lend his voice to Amazon’s Alexa, he is not the first one to do so. Previously, Samuel L. Jackson had also lent his voice to Alexa making him the first-ever Alexa celebrity voice Samuel L.Jackson’s voice on Alexa was launched last year in September. The Jackson Alexa skill is only available in English. The inclusion of Bachchan’s voice, that of an Indian celebrity, suggests that this Bachchan Alexa skill will be limited only to the Indian soil, and the demo, as released by Amazon, shows that he will speak in Hindi.
