MUMBAI: The suspense over superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s illness continued on Day 2 as the first family of Bollywood made no announcement to fans and media. Even as the actor was put through a battery of tests at Bandra’s Lilavati Hospital, there were rumours of Bachchan’s “old problem” resurfacing. The doctors only admitted to keeping him back for a day more.

Bachchan, 63, was admitted to Lilavati after being flown to Mumbai from New Delhi on Monday night. The hospitalisation and images of a weakened Bachchan flashing across newspapers and TV screens revived memories of 1982 when the star ruptured his intestines after falling on a table while shooting Coolie.

A family friend told The Times of India that his condition was more serious than they had thought it was. “We thought it was just a stomach ache, but it seems more serious,” said the friend without elaborating. On Tuesday evening, hospital vice president Dr Narendra Trivedi told reporters there was no need to worry. “He has colitis and needs to rest,” he said. Earlier in the day, he had said that Bachchan had been subjected to routine blood, urine and stool tests. A CT scan was also done. Unofficial sources, however, mentioned that his family wanted him to rest and had insisted on an extra day in hospital. “They are worried he will leave for shooting if discharged,” said doctors. Off the record, information flowed freely from Bollywood visitors as well as people in the know.

“He has got colitis, with a suspicion of diverticulitis,” said a source. A family friend said that his old ailments —chronic asthma and mysthenia gravis — were making it difficult for the doctors to treat the abdominal inflammation with antibiotics and IV fluids. Yet another said that doctors were wondering if his present inflammation\infection was a result of the 1982 wound. As the day wore on, the hospital resembled a crowded public spot, with fans and celebrity visitors trooping in. While the fans were stopped in the lobby itself, visitors who made it to the 11th floor super deluxe room only met wife Jaya or son Abhishek.

If sneaking into Lilavati Hospital is difficult on any given day, on Tuesday it was more so. Instead of five security guards, there were twice that number monitoring the lobby full of fans, many who were impatient to get to the super deluxe rooms on the 11th floor where the superstar was admitted. On the 11th floor itself, three guards were stationed instead of one.—By special arrangement with the Times of India