Amitabh Bachchan’s Cybercrime Caller Tune Retired as Government Winds Up Awareness Campaign

Mumbai: The iconic voice of Amitabh Bachchan, which became a daily reminder for millions of Indians to stay alert against cyber fraud, will no longer greet callers. The Indian government has decided to pull the plug on the public service caller tune, marking the official conclusion of its cybercrime awareness campaign, which wrapped up on Thursday, June 26.

For several years, mobile users across the country would hear Bachchan’s pre-recorded message before their calls connected, urging caution in digital interactions. The initiative was launched to spread mass awareness about the rising incidents of online scams and frauds—a concern that has only grown in the digital era.

While the message was designed with good intent, it had a polarizing effect. Many took to social media to express irritation over its repetition, especially in emergencies when the delay in call connection felt inconvenient. Some users even targeted the Bollywood legend himself, blaming him for the prolonged message and trolling him online.

Earlier this week, Amitabh Bachchan addressed one such comment on X (formerly Twitter). When a user sarcastically told him to stop speaking on phones, Bachchan responded curtly, saying, “Tell the government, they asked me to do it.”