Film legend Amitabh Bachchan joins TeachAids efforts in India
“As regards the laudable, humane work TeachAids is carrying out, in creating a united front to combat HIV/AIDS, by means of educational material for children the world over, I would willingly like to offer my help. We can tackle this epidemic by breaking the silence and removing the stigma that surrounds this disease.” – Amitabh Bachchan
Film legend Amitabh Bachchan has generously made the time to improve public education around another important health topic, donating his voice and likeness for the creation of new versions of the TeachAids software in India.
Over the last two days in the famous BR Studios in Mumbai, Mr. Bachchan recorded his voice for both the Hindi and English versions of the TeachAids animated software. As one of the most recognized and respected voices in the history of Indian cinema, his versions of the software will be released in schools across the entire country to educate young people on prevention and other protective measures. In the animated tutorial, Mr. Bachchan plays the role of the erudite doctor opposite Imran Khan, who plays the curious student. The female versions of the English and Hindi TeachAids software star Shabana Azmi and Shruti Haasan.
The new Hindi and English versions of the TeachAids software will be released alongside several other Indian language versions starring celebrities including Nagarjuna, Sudeep, Suhasini Maniratnam, Suriya, Prashanta Nanda, Siddharth, Anushka Shetty, and others.
The winner of many awards, including three National Film Awards as Best Actor and fourteen Filmfare Awards — the Oscars of Indian cinema — Mr. Bachchan is one of the most celebrated actors in the industry. In 2001, the Government of India awarded him with the prestigious Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards the arts.
Aside from his highly successful film career spanning over four decades, promoting social good and raising knowledge around public health has been important to Mr. Bachchan. As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Polio, Mr. Bachchan launched a number of educational initiatives to raise knowledge levels around promoting positive health behaviors. His tireless efforts combined with those of the public health community proved effective when the World Health Organization declared 10 Asian countries, including India, to be free of polio. With Mr. Bachchan now lending his support to a group of over a dozen cultural icons and an interdisciplinary team of world experts, TeachAids hopes to make a significant difference in HIV education and prevention as well.
TeachAids wholeheartedly thanks Mr. Bachchan for joining our efforts as well as BR Studios for donating their studio and staff towards this production.
Photo: Legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan records his voice for the TeachAids software at BR Studios in Mumbai; on the left is his animated avatar for the tutorials.