What was once a reassuring voice is now turning into a nationwide irritation. Amitabh Bachchan’s voice, used in a government-mandated cyber security caller tune, is drawing sharp criticism from people across India who say the 40-second message is disruptive, repetitive, and frustrating—especially during emergencies.

Introduced last year as part of a digital awareness campaign, the caller tune plays before every outgoing call, warning users about online fraud, phishing links, and OTP scams. But now, the message is being widely compared to the COVID-era awareness caller tunes that were eventually pulled after mass complaints.

“In an emergency, even 10 seconds matter”

People from various professions—including doctors, lawyers, bankers, and software engineers—have voiced their frustration. “If I’m calling the same number five times, why must I hear the same message every time?” said Dr. Sachin Singh, speaking to TV9 Bharatvarsh. “It should play once a day or once per session, not on every single call.”

The example often cited: “An Air India plane crashed in 32 seconds… What if you needed help and Bachchan Sahab’s 40-second voice blocked your call?” The sentiment is echoed across platforms like X, Instagram, and Facebook, where the hashtag #RemoveCallerTune has gained traction.

Telecom Ministry Faces Heat, TRAI Receives Complaints

The issue has reached the Union Telecom Ministry and TRAI, with multiple complaints filed and some citizens even resorting to RTIs. While officials argue that the message plays only on the caller’s end and doesn’t delay the ringing at the receiver’s phone, telecom experts point out that in many cases, especially on slower networks, the ring begins after the message ends—causing real delays.

Failed Shortcuts and Public Experiments

Social media is flooded with supposed “hacks” to skip the caller tune. Rajasthan Police sub-inspector Aarti Singh Tanwar recently went viral for sharing a tip: press '1' or '0' or '8' during the message to skip it. While this trick works for some, for most users, the message continues uninterrupted.

Repetition Turns Awareness into Annoyance

Many argue that the campaign’s objective is noble, but the execution is flawed. “The message is helpful—but not when it plays 20 times a day,” said lawyer Shrikant Shukla. During the COVID-19 pandemic, similar public outrage had forced authorities to scale back such audio warnings.

Now, citizens are demanding the same: play the message once a day or at first call, not every time. The government’s intent to educate the public on cyber safety is appreciated—but the delivery, they say, needs serious rethinking.