iNDICA NEWS BUREAU
From the famed dabbawalas of Mumbai to breathless reporters, much of India was Monday glued to updates on the health of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 over the weekend along with actor son Abhishek, actress daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and granddaughter Aaradhya.
Amitabh, 77, and Abhishek, 44, are at Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital. Aishwarya and the child, who are asymptomatic, are isolated at home.
A hospital statement Sunday morning said Amitabh and Abhishek had “mild symptoms”.
News agency PTI quoted a hospital source as saying that father and son “do not require aggressive treatment”.
Amitabh and Abhishek revealed their coronavirus diagnosis Saturday. Prayers, get well soon’ messages and good wishes for their quick recovery have flooded the social media since then.
Amitabh tweeted: “ It shall not be possible for me to acknowledge and respond to all the prayers and wishes expressed by them that have shown concern towards Abhishek, Aishwarya, Aaradhya and me…. Thank you for your eternal love and affection.
The dabbawalas, or those who carry cooked meals to Mumbai’s office-goers, performed a special puja and prayed for the early recovery of Amitabh Bachchan and his family, news agency IANS reported.
“We have prayed for the early recovery of Bachchan and all other people in the country. We want the country to be rid of Covid-19 at the earliest,” a spokesperson for the dabbawalas was quoted as saying.
Another similar puja was reported from Kolkata in West Bengal.
India added 28,701 new COVID-19 cases Sunday to Monday. The country’s total tally was 8,78,254. The death toll climbed by 500 to 23,174, and 18,850 patients were cured, according to the country’s health ministry.
