Amitabh Bachchan may soon guide you on Google Maps
You may soon be traveling with Amitabh Bachchan, or at least his iconic voice. Don't believe us? Buzz suggests that the team of Google Maps India has approached the 77-year-old megastar for giving voice directions in the navigation app. Currently, the voice you hear on Google Maps belongs to Australia-born and New York-based entertainer and singer Karen Jacobsen. Here's more on this.
Quoting sources, Mid-Day reports that Google is currently in talks with Bachchan. However, nothing has been finalized yet. "Amitabh Bachchan has the most influential and recognizable baritone. Hence, he is the best choice for the voice of Google Maps. He has been approached, but the contract has not been signed yet," a source informed the publication.
Quite naturally, Bachchan has been offered an extravagant amount for the deal. Further, if and when the actor accepts the offer, he will be recording his voice from home, keeping the social distancing norms in mind, the report added.
Interestingly, this is not the first time that Google Maps has teamed up with Bollywood. Earlier, in 2018, the platform collaborated with Yash Raj Films to use superstar Aamir Khan's character "Firangi" from the action adventure movie Thugs of Hindostan to guide commuters. The move was part of promotions for the ambitious film, that also starred Bachchan and Katrina Kaif.
Coming back to Bachchan, he has lent his voice to many films and ads through his career. He first narrated Mrinal Sen's Bhuvan Shome (1969). He has also given his voice to movies like Shatranj Ke Khilari, Lagaan, Parineeta, Jodhaa Akbar, Ra. One, among others.
On the work front, Bachchan's latest film Gulabo Sitabo is set to release on Amazon Prime Video on June 12. The Shoojit Sircar directorial is the first-ever big-ticket Bollywood movie to release directly on a streaming platform. The veteran also has films like Chehre, Ayan Mukerji's superhero movie Brahmastra, and Nagraj Manjule's sports film Jhund in the pipeline.
