Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, his son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter have tested positive for coronavirus in Mumbai, a government minister said Sunday. The Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital said that Amitabh Bachchan was in stable condition with mild symptoms in an isolation unit, reports the Associated Press.
Bachchan, 77, tweeted on Saturday that he had tested positive and appealed to those who were in close proximity to him in the past 10 days to get themselves tested.
His son, Abhishek Bachchan, 44, tweeted Saturday night that he also had tested positive and was in a hospital.
“Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to the hospital,” he wrote. “I request all to stay calm and not panic.”
Maharashtra state Health Minister Rajesh Tope tweeted Sunday that Abhishek’s wife Aishwarya Rai and their 8-year-old daughter had also tested positive. Aishwarya is a top Bollywood actress.
Tope didn’t say whether Aishwarya and daughter Aaradhya were quarantined at home or were also hospitalised.
Amitabh has acted in more than 200 Indian films over the past five decades. He is also a former politician and a television host.
The Bachchans are often called Bollywood’s first family. His wife, Jaya, is also an actress and a one-time member of Parliament.
The Press Trust of India news agency cited Tope as saying Amitabh and his son had a cough and fever. “They underwent rapid antigen test and (results) came positive,″ he said.
Mumbai is among the Indian cities worst hit by the coronavirus. On Sunday, the country’s virus caseload reached near 850,000, with 28,637 new cases announced, a new single-day high for India.
