Amitabh Bachchan recites poem on coronavirus, asks fans to wash hands

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has written a poem to warn his fans against coronavirus, saying washing hands was the way to beat the spread of the disease.

Bachchan chose his mother tongue, the Awadhi dialect, to recite the poem on social media.

"There are many discussions on coronavirus around us. It has done a lot of damage. People are not leaving their homes and are worried about their health. This morning, I thought I should speak about it, so I have written a few lines," Bachchan said in a video.

In the poem, the 77-year-old actor spoke about how different people were talking about remedies like 'kalonji powder and 'amla' juice but it was important to not touch anyone without washing one's hands with soap.

"Hum kahen chalo hamahu kar det hai jaisan bole sab. Aave da corona vorona, thengwa dikhaub tab. (I said let me follow what people are saying. Let corona vorona come, I will show 'thenga' to it.)," Bachchan said in the poem.

The actor said though those not familiar with Hindi or Awadhi will be at a disadvantage, he did not translate it as it would lose the flavour of the moment.

"There is more to be said and thought about... on lines similar to the ones above.. WHO and UNICEF have also asked me to send out video messages, which I did but they are more formal.. this in Awadhi was my own doing... one is never too far away from their Mother tongue... stay safe, stay alert , stay," Bachchan said.

Other celebrities also shared concern about the spread of the virus in India as the number of cases rose to 81.

Actor Varun Dhawan said the spread of virus should make people introspect about other species.

"As we all battle this virus. I think it is time we realise that the human race has been extremely selfish. It's time we introspect. We share this planet with many other species. Development is important but not at the cost of killing other species. We will overcome this but we must realise that messing with Mother Nature comes at a cost," he wrote on Instagram.

Actor Parineeti Chopra urged fans to take the warning about the virus seriously.

"Stop calling it a 'hype on social media'. Stop saying 'it only affects the elderly'. Stop saying 'oh but the death rate of flu is more'. Stop thinking you are smarter than the virus. You are not. Coronavirus is real. Its extremely contagious and unstoppable. Please be smart. And be safe. #coronavirus," she wrote on Instagram.

Priyanka Chopra shared a short video in the 'Namaste' pose, saying, "It's all about the Namaste. An old but also new way to greet people in a time of change around the world.