Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan hospitalized


Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan is in stable condition and responding to treatment, officials at a Mumbai hospital said Sunday, a day after he was hospitalized with acute abdominal pain.

Tests on Bachchan were clear and he could be discharged in a few days, Lilavati hospital spokesman Mohan Rajan said.

"The medication has worked on him and doctors are pleased with his recovery. He had a restful night," Rajan said.

Bachchan, India's best-known actor, turned 66 on Saturday.

Affectionately known as "Big B," he has acted in more than 160 films in a career spanning three decades in Bollywood, the home of India's prolific movie industry.

He underwent surgery for an intestinal ailment two years ago.

Bachchan's son and well-known Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan told reporters late Saturday that his father was suffering from an "intestinal obstruction." He asked fans to pray for Bachchan's speedy recovery.

On Saturday, fans crowded outside Bachchan's home in a northern Mumbai suburb with flowers and banners to wish him a happy birthday.

Indian media showed Bachchan being taken to the hospital on a stretcher, accompanied by his son and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, also a famous actress.

Bachchan and his wife Jaya, a politician and veteran actress, are among Bollywood's best-known families.