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The new callertune reassures people that the vaccine is safe and urges people to take it; and not to believe in hearsay.
Soon, callers placing calls over Airtel networks will hear a new callertune about the coronavirus vaccine. In March 2020, following orders from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), mobile operators, including Jio, Vodafone and BSNL, played a 30-second awareness audio clip, instead of the regular caller tune. Some brands cited WHO guidelines in their communication and the voice over was by VO artiste Jasleen Bhalla.
The new callertune talks to the users in a bid to reassure them of how safe the vaccine is. The message also urges people not to listen to hearsay and to take the vaccine when the time comes. The vaccine rollout in India has seen a few deaths so far and its credibility has come under question.
The message also reminds people that even if they have taken the vaccine, they have to continue wearing masks and observing social distancing practices. Earlier this month, there was a public interest litigation filed in the Delhi High court against Amitabh Bachchan's voice over for the COVID callertune.
The petition was filed by a Delhi resident and social worker and claimed that “Amitabh Bachchan is not having a clean history as well as he is not serving the nation being a social worker,” the plea alleged while referring to several matters pending against him in various courts (as reported by The Hindu).