Bollywood film star Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The Indian actor on Saturday announced on his Twitter page has tested positive to the infection. The Indian Express reported that the 77-year-old actor was admitted to Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai.
“I have tested CoviD positive .. shifted to Hospital .. hospital informing authorities .. family and staff undergone tests , results awaited,” Bachchan tweeted. He also requested that those who have been in close proximity with him in the last ten days to get themselves tested.
Amitabh Bachchan first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films such as Zanjeer, Deewaar and Sholay, and was dubbed India’s “angry young man” for his on-screen roles in Bollywood.
Referred to as the Shahenshah of Bollywood (in reference to his 1988 film Shahenshah), Sadi ka Mahanayak (Hindi for, “Greatest actor of the century”), Star of the Millennium, or Big B, he has since appeared in over 200 Indian films in a career spanning more than five decades.
Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema as well as world cinema.
About an hour after Bachchan’s tweet, his son, Abhishek, who is also an actor, announced that he was also positive to the coronavirus:
“Earlier today both my father and I tested positive for COVID-19. Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to hospital. We have informed all the required authorities and our family and staff are all being tested. I request all to stay calm and not panic. Thank you.”
Abhishek Bachchan, who is fondly called “Junior Bachchan” made his acting debut in 2000 with J. P. Dutta’s war film Refugee. His first commercial successes came with the 2004 action films Dhoom and Run.
Bachchan went on to earn critical appreciation for his performances in the dramas Yuva (2004), Sarkar (2005), and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), which won him three consecutive Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2007, he portrayed a character loosely based on Dhirubhai Ambani in Mani Ratnam’s drama film Guru, which earned him critical acclaim and a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.
