Amitabh Bachan

Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai test positive for coronavirus

Abishek Bachan said Saturday that he and his father both tested positive for COVID-19. He said they had mild symptoms and were admitted to the hospital. 

“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,” the actor tweeted Saturday. 

Amitabh Bachchan pays off farmers' loans worth $500,000

He wrote on his blog on Tuesday that he had "taken care" of 1,398 farmers by paying off their debt, adding that he felt a "sense of accomplishment".

All of the farmers are from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where Bachchan was born.

Tens of thousands of Indian farmers struggle with debt.

For decades now, the farming industry has been blighted by drought, the depletion of the water table, declining productivity and a lack of modernisation.

Farm suicides have been linked to these issues - at least 300,000 farmers have taken their lives since 1995.