Amitabh Bachchan injured on Project K set as filming is suspended

Veteran Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan is recovering at his home in Mumbai following an injury on the set of his coming sci-fi film Project K.

Bachchan, 80, shared on his blog on Sunday that he sustained a rib injury while filming in Hyderabad in South India. Project K, which is being simultaneously shot in Telugu and Hindi, also features South Indian star Prabhas as well as Bollywood star Deepika Padukone.

"Rib cartilage broke and muscle tear to the right rib cage," Bachchan wrote on his blog. He said movement and breathing were painful and that doctors have advised him to rest.

Production of the film has been suspended and "postponed for the moment until healing occurs", the star said.

"I shall be unable to meet the well-wishers at Jalsa Gate this evening, so do not come and do inform as much as you can to those that intend coming," he added, referring to fans who line up outside his Mumbai home every day hoping to catch a glimpse of the star.

The news sent shockwaves among the beloved actor's fan base as Bachchan, or Big B as he is lovingly called, had once suffered an on-set injury that almost ended his career.

In 1982, at the height of his fame, Bachchan miscalculated a jump while performing a stunt on the set of Coolie and hit his abdomen, leading to a near-fatal intestinal injury. For two months, the actor was critically ill as doctors performed several surgeries on him at a Mumbai hospital. Thousands of fans crowded outside the hospital, with some reportedly offering their limbs in exchange for the actor's well-being.

“It's the moment I came home surviving death after the Coolie accident... It's the first time ever I saw my father breaking down," Bachchan said, when sharing a photo of his return home on social media many years later.

Coolie was released in 1983 and became the highest-grossing film that year.

Project K, an ambitious science fiction film, was first announced in 2020, but production was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. With a 5 billion rupees ($63 million) budget, it is touted as one of the most expensive films ever made in India.

Considered a national treasure, Bachchan, who made his acting debut in 1969, has starred in more than 200 films, including several blockbusters. He also had a decade-long stint as a beloved television host and is a voracious social media user, and has charmed his way across generations unlike any other actor.