Indian film superstar Rajinikanth recovering

Indian film legend Rajinikanth has been taken out of intensive care and was recovering in a private ward on Monday after a serious health scare, doctors said.

The 61-year-old Tamil language cinema icon, who is often referred to simply as "The Superstar", was transferred from the special ward on Sunday evening. He had spent three days there after suffering breathing problems.

"He is cheerful and is spending time with all the family members and is watching cricket (on television) keenly," a medical bulletin from the Sri Ramachandra hospital in the southern city of Chennai said.

"His vital parameters are stable," it added.

Rajinikanth, a former bus conductor from Bangalore who inspires a fanatical following among movie-goers in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, has been dogged by health problems for the last month.

He first fell ill at the end of April on the first day of shooting his new film "Rana" (The Monarch). Since then he has been in and out of hospital.

He was admitted to the private Sri Ramachandra hospital on May 13 and taken into intensive care on Thursday, shocking his legions of fans and prompting prayers and vigils for his swift recovery.

Well-wishers also included Hindi-language Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Dev Anand.

str-phz/bgs/jah