Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, who has been suffering from severe abdominal pain since earlier this week, was successfully operated on for the problem at a hospital here Wednesday, hospital officials said.

Bachchan, 63, who was admitted to Lilavati Hospital here Monday night after being flown in from New Delhi, underwent a surgical procedure that lasted two hours and 45 minutes. The hospital officials said he was out of danger.

No other details were immediately available, but some reports had suggested Bachchan was suffering from acute colitis.

Following the surgery, Bachchan was visited in the hospital by Bollywood stars and filmmakers like Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, David Dhawan and Manoj Desai.

Desai, who produced Bachchan's film "Khuda Gawah", said he had spoken to the star and members of the Bachchan family, and that he was well on the road to recovery after the "successful surgery".

"We were all very worried earlier, but now we are relieved after the surgery," Desai told the TV news channel Aaj Tak.

Millions of fans of the star who has dominated Indian cinema for three decades held their breath earlier Wednesday as speculation about his condition mounted, and TV news channels repeatedly flashed reports from the hospital, which was besieged by the media and fans, who prayed for his recovery.

The Bachchan family's decision not to speak to the media about the megastar's health fuelled much of the speculation.

Total secrecy was maintained over the surgery, as even close friends were not allowed to meet the actor, while his son Abhishek reportedly briefed friends and well-wishers.

According to hospital officials, specialist surgeons were brought in to conduct the surgery in the first floor operation theatre.

Earlier in the day, doctors had said that Bachchan's health was improving. But reports of the surgery, which began at around 6 p.m., fanned fears that all was not well with him.

A press conference scheduled for 6 p.m., meant to brief the media about Bachchan's health, was cancelled suddenly and security was increased at the hospital. Some promptly interpreted the moves as ominous signs of something being amiss.

"The Bachchan family has issued strict orders not to disclose any details of Mr. Bachchan's health till tomorrow (Thursday) morning," a hospital official said.

This is the second time that Bachchan, one of India's most venerated actors, has undergone a surgery. He had a stomach operation in the early 1980s after meeting with a near fatal accident during a stunt sequence for his hit film "Coolie".

At that time too, the country had witnessed an unprecedented outpouring of concern among the star's fans. Thousands gathered outside the hospital where he was treated and special prayers were organized across India for his recovery.