The caller tune that cautioned people about cybercrime and cyberfraud, voiced by Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, would no longer be heard as of June 26, reported NDTV. The pre-recorded message that used to play whenever a user made a phone call has been removed by the government as of right now, according to the report. According to the media outlet, which cited a source, the message was taken down since it was part of the Central government's drive to raise awareness of the growing number of cyberfraud cases. Amitabh Bachchan had voiced the new campaign to educate the public about digital safety and increase awareness of cybercrime. In this caller tune, Amit ji is heard warning listeners about common cyber threats like phishing, internet fraud, and identity theft before calls connect.
“The campaign has come to an end, and therefore, the caller tune will be removed from today," a source told NDTV.
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According to reports, the decision was made after a number of users voiced their displeasure, especially in emergency instances where the caller tone delayed the instant connection.
The megastar recently made headlines for his witty replies to trolls who made fun of him for his cybercrime awareness caller song. Amitabh Bachchan posted on X, “Ji haan huzoor, main bhi ek prashansak hoon. Toh?? (Yes, sir, I’m a fan too. So??)." To this post, a user replied, “Toh phone pe bolna band kro bhay (So stop saying it on the phone)." This user criticised him for his cybercrime call tune. To this the actor responded by saying, “Sarkar ko bolo bhai, unhone jo kaha humne kar diya (Tell the government, I did what they told me to do)."
On the same post, another user commented, “Buddha sathiya gaya hai (The old man has gone senile)," To this, Big B responded by writing, “Ek din, Bhagwan naa kare voh din jaldi aaye, jab aap bhi sathiya jaaye (One day — God forbid it comes soon — you too will grow senile. But we have a saying here: ‘Jo satha, wo patha (The older, the wiser)."
Amitabh Bachchan had previously faced criticism for a similar pre-recorded caller tune about COVID-19 measures. After he and a few of his family members tested positive for the virus, a PIL was also filed in the Delhi High Court, asking for an order to have his voice taken down from the caller tune.