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

Mumbai: 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.

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.

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