Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan will be the first Indian celebrity to lend his voice to Amazon's Alexa digital assistant starting next year, as the Silicon Valley giant expands its presence in the massive market.
The 77-year-old actor has been a household name in India for nearly half a century, and his deep baritone is instantly recognisable to listeners in the country of 1.3 billion.
Foreign firms such as Amazon have spent tens of billions of dollars in India in recent years as they fight for a piece of the Asian giant's burgeoning digital economy.
In a blog post on Monday, Amazon India said Bachchan's "voice experience" feature will become available for purchase on Alexa next year.
"It will include popular offerings like jokes, weather, shayaris (poetry), motivational quotes, advice and more," the firm said.
Alexa first rolled out celebrity voice options last year with actor Samuel L. Jackson, following a similar move by Google the year before, which gave users the option of hearing singer John Legend on the Google Assistant.
"I am excited to create this voice experience," the Bollywood megastar said on Amazon's blog.
"With voice technology, we are building something to engage more effectively with my audience and well-wishers."
His earlier foray into vocal blogging in 2010, "Bachchan Bol-Bachchan Speak", allowed fans to listen to pre-recorded messages by the star at the push of a button.
In addition to competing with voice-activated devices such as Apple's Siri and Google Assistant for consumers, Amazon is battling Walmart-backed Flipkart and JioMart, owned by Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani, for a share of the online retail market.
The tech giant, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, the world's richest person, is also trying to win eyeballs with its streaming service that competes with Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar.
Bachchan and his family have been among India's highest-profile coronavirus patients.
The superstar, his actor son Abhishek, actress daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai, and granddaughter Aaradhya were all admitted to hospital in July. All four have since been released.
The veteran star returned to work last month filming India's version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" after authorities eased coronavirus curbs on movie and TV shoots.
Nevertheless, with cases in India nearing five million, authorities in Mumbai the home of Bollywood have asked production houses to ensure that common facilities are regularly sanitised, masks worn and social distancing "followed as far as possible".
Bachchan's last film, comedy-drama "Gulabo Sitabo", went straight to Amazon's streaming service in June, after theatres in India shut down in March due to pandemic fears.
AFP RELAXNEWS
Tue Sep 15 2020
Indian Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. AFPRelaxpic
Tumpuan Sabtu - 20 April 2024
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan di Astro AWANI.
Empat wakil negara mara ke separuh akhir kelayakan Kejohanan Skuasy Dunia
Empat wakil negara berjaya melangkah ke separuh akhir Kelayakan Kejohanan Skuasy Dunia Zon Asia yang berlangsung di Pusat Skuasy Jalan Duta hari ini.
Malaysia pantau situasi terkini di Asia Barat, minta semua pihak terlibat supaya bertenang
Malaysia memantau dengan rapi perkembangan terkini di Asia Barat dan menyeru semua pihak yang terlibat supaya bertenang dan terus berusaha mencari jalan penyelesaian diplomatik.
3,850 ibu bekerja di selangor terima insentif MamaKerja RM1,000
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari berkata ibu pekerja tersebut merupakan sebahagian daripada keseluruhan 5,595 permohonan yang diterima kerajaan negeri setakat Mac lalu.
Pemandu bas rempuh 11 kenderaan direman empat hari
Perintah reman terhadap lelaki berusia 51 itu dibenarkan Majistret Suhaila Shafi'uddin bagi membantu siasatan mengikut Seksyen 42 Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987.
Mahkamah Persekutuan tetap 3 Mei putuskan rayuan berkaitan status agama Islam wanita
Mahkamah Persekutuan telah menetapkan 3 Mei depan untuk memutuskan rayuan seorang wanita berusia 37 tahun bagi mengetepikan keputusan Mahkamah Rayuan yang mengembalikan status agamanya sebagai Islam.
Jangan abai peruntukan untuk pembangunan sukan - Hannah
Kerajaan negeri dinasihatkan untuk tidak 'menganaktirikan' atau menganggap agihan peruntukan bagi tujuan pembangunan sukan tidak penting dalam belanjawan negeri.
Empat pelari yang memenangi acara separa maraton Beijing dilucutkan pingat
Penganjur acara separa maraton Beijing mengumumkan pada Jumaat bahawa empat pelari yang terlibat dalam perlumbaan kontroversi pada Ahad lepas telah dilucutkan pingat.
Lelaki sindrom Down melecur disimbah air panas dalam lif
Seorang lelaki sindrom Down melecur di bahagian badan disyaki akibat disimbah air panas ketika berada di dalam lif sebuah pangsapuri.
Park Jaehong ketua jurulatih baharu KDNFC
KDNFC hari ini mengumumkan Park Jaehong dari Korea Selatan sebagai ketua jurulatih yang baharu bagi membimbing pasukan itu dalam menghadapi saingan Liga Malaysia (Liga-M) musim 2024/25.
Rumah tangga didakwa bakal musnah, Aishwarya Rai dan Abhishek Bachchan pamer keharmonian
Keharmonian rumah tangga pasangan tersohor Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai dan Abhishek Bachchan menjadi bualan hangat kebelakangan ini.
Buat pertama kali, Aishwarya Rai kongsi foto anak sempena Hari Ibu
Aishwarya Rai berkongsi beberapa keping foto yang tidak pernah dilihat sebelum ini yang memaparkan Aaradhya Bachchan sempena Hari Ibu.
Amitabh Bachchan disahkan negatif COVID-19, dibenarkan pulang selepas 3 minggu
Bintang tersohor Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan disahkan negataif COVID-19 dan sudah didiscaj dari hospital.
"Sembang pasal anak 'jer' dengan Eva Longoria" - Anzalna jumpa pelakon Desperate Housewives
Untunglah!
Wajah anak Aishwarya Rai dikatakan persis BLACKPINK Lisa
Anak kepada Aishwarya Rai dan Abhishek Bachchan bukan sahaja mencuri perhatian peminat filem Hindustan malah juga peminat K-Pop.
Aishwarya Rai raih 2.5 juta followers, selepas seminggu buka akaun IG
Pelakon terkenal Bollywood Aishwarya Rai mendapat jumlah pengikut mencecah 2.5 Juta selepas lima hari membuka akaun Instagram.
Ratu India dimahkotakan sebagai Miss World 2017
Ratu India, Manushi Chhillar dinobatkan sebagai Miss World edisi ke-67 dalam satu majlis di Sanya, China pada Sabtu.
"Saya penyelamat Aishwarya Rai dari kerakusan seks Harvey," bekas pengurus
Harvey turut didakwa gangguan seksual ke atas bintang-bintang terkenal Hollywood seperti Angelina Jolie dan Gwyneth Paltrow.
Bapa Aishwarya Rai kritikal di hospital
Bapa kepada bintang Bollywood terkenal Aishwarya Rai, Krishnaraj Rai dilapor berada dalam keadaan kritikal di Hospital Lilavati, Mumbai.
Aishwarya Rai dikecam kerana iklan rasis
Iklan barang kemas jenama keluaran Kalyan Jewellers tersebut memaparkan gambar seorang kanak-kanak berkulit gelap memegang payung untuk Aishwarya Rai yang memakai perhiasan mewah itu.