Amitabh Bachchan - India’s Superstar Undergoes Surgery

Amitabh Bachchan undergoing surgery in Mumbai at Lilavati Hospital

Mumbai: Amitabh Bacchan the Indian superstar and probably the highest paid star in the Indian film Industry is undergoing surgery at Lilavathi Hospital in the evening today.

Mr.Bachhan who is 63, was first admitted to Delhi's Escorts Hospital and then flown to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on Monday following complaints of abdominal pain. Doctors attending him in Mumbai said till recently he was recovering well. According to one report he is suffering from Diverticular disease of the colon, however doctors at Lilavati said the surgery is due to the injury he had sustained during the shooting of the film Coolie. During the shooting he had burst his intestine following a bad fall. This was a near fatal accident. Diverticular disease takes place due to low roughage in the diet and is more prevalent in the western countries.

Commenting on such a surgery Dr.Shroff, a leading surgeon and Urologist from Chennai said 'Sepsis in such a surgery can make the outcome difficult to predict. The other difficulty is that he has been operated in the area before and this makes the intestines adhere to each other.'

He further added:' In diverticulitis,. the infection can turn into an abscess making the intestine wall weak and it can then perforate. We wish him well I am sure there is a very competent team doing the job.'

In Calcutta hundreds of Amitabh fans gathered under the banner of the city's Amitabh Bachchan Fans' Association and held a 'mahayagna', a fire ritual for the fast recovery and long life of the actor. Fans of ailing icon Amitabh Bachchan have offered prayers at the famous Kalighat Temple once the filmstar recovers completely.

'We are planning a big 'puja' (prayers) at Kalighat Temple soon to thank God for saving our beloved actor. We are relieved to hear that he is recovering well,' Raju Prasad, member, Amitabh Bachchan Fans' Association, told IANS here Wednesday.

'We are really concerned about him. But it is good news that he is recovering,' said Prasad.

Amidst chanting of hymns, the mahayagna was held as his concerned fans held aloft posters saying, Tum Jiyo Hazaron Saal (May you live for a thousand years) and Bhagwan Amitji ko lambi umar de (May Lord give Amitji a long life).

Kolkatans consider Bachchan their son-in-law because the actor is married to Bengali Jaya Bachchan who started her career in the Bengali film industry in the 1960s.

The fans' association in Kolkata has grand plans to construct a temple for Amitabh Bachchan.