UNICEF names Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan a Goodwill Ambassador

With a 12-day retrospective of his work running in New York, Indian film star Amitabh Bachchan has also been given another honour. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has appointed him a Goodwill Ambassador, focusing on polio eradication and educating the public on HIV/AIDS.

In a signing ceremony yesterday at UNICEF headquarters in New York, Mr. Bachchan, known to millions of fans worldwide as “Big B,” agreed to make public appearances and field visits on behalf of children for the next two years.

“Amitabh has the star power to illuminate the lives of the millions of children who are living in dire circumstances,” UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said. “We look forward to a long collaboration with him, and we feel honoured to have him as part of the UNICEF family.”

Mr. Bachchan previously supported UNICEF during a polio outbreak in northern India by making award-winning and effective television and radio advertisements urging parents to get their children inoculated against the crippling disease, the Fund said.

After last December’s tragic tsunami, he made a public service announcement reminding the public of their duty to care for and protect children, particularly in times of crisis, UNICEF said.