Actor Pran admitted to hospital again

Veteran Bollywood actor Pran has again been admitted to a Mumbai hospital where he underwent a surgical procedure, media reports said.

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan visited Pran in the hospital on Tuesday.

"I go to visit Pran Saheb in Hospital .. he is in ICU .. and progressing the doctors say .. had a smile when he saw me .. prayers !!" he tweeted early Wednesday.

Bachchan wrote on his blog: "Pran, colleague senior and one of the finest gentlemen of this beautiful fraternity, lies in ICU, and I visit him too ... prayers for him for his speedy recovery."

"I speak to him, masked for purposes of infection riddance, and he sees but does not recognise .. he has a tracheostomy done, so cannot speak .. he was in hospital a few days back and I had visited him .. he seemed perfectly all right ... but he has had a relapse and I wish him well," he said.

Pran was admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital last month after he complained of respiratory dysfunction.

He was later discharged from the medical facility.

Pran Krishan Sikand often referred as the 'Villain of the Millennium', who was born on Feb 12, 1920, is a multiple Filmfare and BFJA award-winning Indian actor.

He is one of the most popular villains of Hindi cinema.

Pran played the leading man in films like Khandaan (1942), Pilpili Saheb (1954), Halaku (1956), Aurat (1967 film), Dharma (1973), Jangal Mein Mangal (1972), Gaddar (1973) and Ek Kunwari Ek Kunwara (1973).

His pivotal roles in the films such as Bari Behen (1949), Bahar (1951), Azaad (1955), Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai (1960), , Aurat (1967), Ansoo Ban Gaye Phool, Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan?, Johny Mera Naam (1970), Victoria No. 203, Zanjeer (1973), Don (1978), Maan Gaye Ustaad (1981) and Duniya (1984) are considered to be among his best performances.

In 2010, he was named on the list of CNN's Top 25 Asian actors of all time.

He won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award in 1967, 1969 and 1972 and was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in the year 1997.

In 2001, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the government of India for his contribution to Indian cinema.

On contrary to the villainous characters he played in his early films, he is very social; a member of various organizations, and also has his very own football team, 'Bombay Dynamos Football Club'.