Bachchan’s illness to cost industry 1.3bn

Bollywood movie legend Amitabh Bachchan, recovering from abdominal surgery, will be away from sets for at least a month, causing delays that could affect projects worth 55 billion rupees ($1.3 billion)

Bachchan is recovering after surgery for diverticulitis, which involves ruptures in pockets of the intestine, and is in stable condition.

At 63, Bachchan is one of India's busiest and most popular actors, a legend who has been watched by several generations of fans in South Asia and across the world where Bollywood films are watched.

By sheer numbers, he is one of the world's most popular actors and the anchor of the world's most watched movie industry.

Bachchan will be not be able to shoot for at least a month and could take up to two months to recover fully, The Hindustan Times reported.

That will cast a shadow on his ongoing projects in the movies and television and endorsement projects valued at $1.3bn, the newspaper said.

However, his admirers are likely to miss him most on the sets of the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, the most popular show in Indian television history, based on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."

Millions of dollars of advertising sales ride on the show.

"It is a fluid situation. Things have changed suddenly with his illness. Now that we have heard that he is recovering after his surgery, we will have to see how things work out," the show's producer, Siddharth Basu, said.

Meanwhile, Lilavati Hospital spokeswomen Vaishali Rajpara said "He is on road to recovery and his condition is stable."

Rajpara said the actor has been advised to stay in the hospital for the next four days. Doctors treating the star describe his illness was not life-threatening.