‘Ask the government, not me‘: Amitabh Bachchan responds to trolls mocking cybercrime caller tune

Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan has responded with his signature wit to online criticism surrounding his voiceover for the government’s cybercrime awareness caller tune.

The actor, who lent his voice to a campaign alerting citizens against digital frauds, was recently the trolled on social media for being "annoying" but he didn't hold himself from firing back.

Social media users took to X to troll the actor for the repetitive nature of the message

The cybercrime caller tune, currently being played on phones across India, features Amitabh warning users against scams involving impersonators claiming to be from banks, income tax departments, or other government bodies. Despite the campaign’s intent to protect citizens from phishing attempts and financial fraud, some users took to X to troll the actor for the repetitive nature of the message.

Bachchan posted screenshots of hate comments and responded to a few directly.

One post sarcastically said, “Ji haan huzoor, main bhi ek prashansak hoon. Toh??” (“Yes sir, I’m a fan too. So??”), to which another user replied, “Toh phone pe bolna band kro bhay” (“So stop saying it on the phone”).

The superstar clapped back:
“Sarkar ko bolo bhai, unhone jo kaha humne kar diya”
(“Tell the government, I did what they told me to do.”)

In another instance, a user called him “senile” with the jibe “Buddha sathiya gaya hai” (“The old man has gone senile”). Bachchan didn’t let it slide. In a graceful but savage comeback, he wrote:
“Ek din, Bhagwan naa kare voh din jaldi aaye, jab aap bhi sathiya jaaye, parantu humare yaha ek kahawat hai, ‘jo satha wo patha’.”
(“One day — God forbid it comes soon — you too will grow senile. But we have a saying: ‘The older, the wiser.’”)

While the criticism continues online, many have praised Bachchan for standing by a campaign that aims to spread awareness about online fraud, a growing issue in India’s digital age.

On the work front, Bachchan was recently seen in Vettaiyan, an action drama starring Rajinikanth, directed by TJ Gnanavel. He also featured in the sci-fi action thriller ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, alongside a star-studded cast including Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan, and Disha Patani.

Up next, the actor will star opposite Deepika Padukone in R Balki’s official remake of The Intern, originally a Hollywood hit led by Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway.

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