Bollywood and beyond: Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar and more test positive for COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has been hitting Bollywood stars one after the other. Amid the spread of the contagious Omicron variant, a number of celebrities have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the recent past, The latest to fall victim are A-listers Sussanne Khan, Khushi Kapoor, and Shobana

Sussanne Khan: She's the latest celebrity to be down with COVID-19. On January 11, she took to her social media to reveal her diagnosis. She wrote: 'After dodging Covid-19 for 2 years, in the 3rd year of 2022 the stubborn Omicron variant has finally infiltrated my immune system. I tested positive last night. Please be safe and take care of yourselves diligently. This is a very contagious one. #Willfightthis #omicronvariant #covid2022doesnotwelcomeyou 😷🤞🏻🤒🤒''.

Khushi and Janhvi Kapoor: Actress Janhvi issued a statement on January 11 about both the sisters testing positive for COVID-19. She said that they had tested positive on January 3 and were done with the home isolation phase. She urged her fans to mask up and take precautions. It's unclear whether their father Boney Kapoor has contracted the virus or not. A few weeks earlier, their step siblings Arjun Kapoor and Anshula had also tested positive.

Shobana: Dancer and award-winning actress also succumbed to the virus today. She wrote: "When the world sleeps magically! I have contracted Omicron despite taking precautions. My symptoms were joint pains, chills and scratchy throat which followed by a slightly sore throat."

Lata Mangeshkar: This veteran playback singer has been admitted to a Mumbai hospital after she tested COVID-19 positive. The 92-year-old singer's condition has been described as stable, according to her family members.

Esha Gupta: This week, Gupta also revealed that she is recovering at home after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. She urged her fans to mask up and take all the necessary precautions to avoid her fate.

After actress Shilpa Shirodkar tested positive, her brother-in-law, Telugu actor Mahesh Babu, has also tested positive for COVID-19. The actor took to his social media on Thursday to post an update about his health condition. “To all my fans and well-wishers, Despite taking all the necessary precautions, I’ve tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms. I’ve isolated myself at home and have been following medical guidance. Request all those who came in contact with me to get themselves tested. I urge everyone who’s not taken their vaccination to do so immediately, as it reduces the risk of severe symptoms and hospitalization. Please follow the COVID norms and stay safe. Can’t wait to be back. Love. Mahesh Babu,” he wrote.

Swara Bhasker shared an update on her health in a statement on Thursday night, 6th January and she revealed that she and her family have been isolated since January 5. She wrote: “I have tested positive for Covid. I developed symptoms on 5th January 2022 and RT-PCR test results just confirmed the same. I and my family have been isolating since 5th Jan evening... and I’m taking all the necessary precautions. I’ve informed everyone I met in the week prior about my having Covid; but if anyone else did come into contact with me, please get yourself tested. Double mask up and stay safe y’all.” Swara wrote in her caption: “Hello Covid! Just got my RT-PCR test resulted and have tested positive. Been isolating and in quarantine. Symptoms include fever, a splitting headache and loss of taste. Double vaccinated so hope this passes soon. So grateful for family and to be at home. Stay safe everyone.”

Kubbra Sait, who is known for her stint on ‘Sacred Games’, has tested positive for COVID-19 on 7th January. She took to her Instagram story and posted a long text notifying her associates and people close to her about the diagnosis. She wrote: “Hey beautiful peeps, first and foremost #maskup Second, I’ve tested positive with mild/asymptomatic Covid-19. If you were in contact with me, please run a home test ... (so that we don’t burden the already burdened testing system).”

In a detailed post on her Instagram story, the 24-year-old actress Alaya F announced that she had tested positive a week ago and has since tested negative twice. “Hi Everyone! I had tested positive for Covid a week ago, I had no symptoms and nobody around me had any symptoms. I tested because I was supposed to be travelling. I have isolated from then till now,” she wrote.

Composer and former judge of reality show Indian Idol, Vishal Dadlani has tested COVID-19 positive on 7 January 2021. Sharing a photo of the test result, Dadlani said that he contracted the virus ‘despite every precaution.’ He added that as far as he remembers, he didn’t meet ‘anyone without a mask on,’ nor did he touch ‘anything unsanitised’ during shoots. The composer shared that his Covid symptoms are ‘relatively mild but still quite debilitating.’ He urged those who came in contact with him in the past 10 days to get themselves tested. Dadlani also asked his Instafam to ‘be careful.’

'Batla House' actor John Abraham and his wife Priya Runchal tested positive for COVID-19. The actor took to his Instagram stories on January 3 to share the news of the diagnosis. “I came in contact with 3 days ago with someone who I later learned had Covid,” Abraham wrote. “Priya and I have tested positive for Covid. We have been quarantined at home so haven’t been in contact with anyone else.” The actor added: “We are both vaccinated and experiencing mild symptoms. Please stay well and healthy. Mask up.”

In December 2021, actress Kareena Kapoor took to Instagram to share her positive diagnosis. The infection was reported after she attended a party at director Karan Johar’s home. Posting on social media the actress posted: “I have tested positive for COVID. I immediately isolated myself while following all medical protocols. I request anyone who has come in contact with me to please get tested. My family and staff are also double-vaccinated. They are currently not showing any symptoms. Thankfully, I am feeling ok and hope to be up and about soon.” She has since recovered.

Designer and ‘The Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives’ star Seema Khan was also one of the celebrities who tested positive. She too had recovered.

Johar, who hosted the bash, had tested negative. This party was reportedly to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his movie ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’.

Sanjay Kapoor’s wife Maheep Kapoor, who is also part of the ‘The Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives’ crew, had also gotten COVID-19.

This is obviously not the complete list of the star-studded party’s guests; others, including actor Karisma Kapoor, actor Malaika Arora (Amrita Arora’s sister) and designer Masaba Gupta were at the event.

Ahead of her Bollywood comeback, former ‘Bigg Boss’ contestant Tanishaa Mukerji tested positive for COVID-19. Mukerji, who is actor Kajol’s sister, took to Instagram to confirm the news. “Hey everyone I’ve been detected COVID positive and will be isolating as required,” posted Mukerji on her Instagram story, while also posting pictures of her hospital stay in Mumbai.

The actress, who is making her comeback with the movie ‘Code Name Abdul’, appeared to be in good spirits, posting selfies from the hospital while plugging in her new film as well on her stories. Mukerji’s credit roll includes films ‘Neal n Nikki’, ‘Sarkar’ and ‘Sarkar Raaj’.

Kamal Hassan was diagnosed with COVID-19 weeks after he celebrated his 67th birthday on November 7. His daughter, Shruti Hassan, shared a health update about the veteran star on Twitter recently. “Thank you for all your wishes and prayers for my father’s health. He is recovering well and is looking forward to interacting with all of you soon,” she wrote.

Kamal had travelled to the US to launch his fashion brand, House of Khaddar. The event took place in Chicago. Before he developed symptoms, he also hosted the weekend episodes of the ongoing season of ‘Bigg Boss Tamil’.