From Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan to Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor; Bollywood celebs affected by Covid-19's second wave

The second wave of the coronavirus has affected several Bollywood actors, including Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt, Akshay Kumar, and others. Here's a rundown of how Covid-19 infiltrated the film industry.

Akshay Kumar is the latest Bollywood actor to confirm that he has tested positive for Covid-19, as the nation braves a second wave of the virus. Coronavirus cases have rapidly increased in recent weeks, with the state of Maharashtra, where the Hindi film industry is based, being particularly affected.

Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt, and Akshay Kumar have all tested positive for Covid-19.

On Sunday, Akshay tweeted that he had tested positive earlier in the morning. He promised that he would be 'back in action' soon. Akshay has been working almost constantly since restrictions on filming were eased last year. He has completed work on Bell Bottom and Atrangi Re, and had begun shooting Ram Setu last week.

He was also the most prominent celebrity faces in the government's fight against the virus last year. Akshay appeared for several PSAs, one of which urged people to return to work after having taken the necessary precautions. He also contributed handsomely to the Prime Minister's relief fund.

On April 1, Alia Bhatt announced in a social media post that she, too, had tested positive for the virus. She had written, "Hello all, I have tested positive for Covid-19. I have immediately isolated myself and will be under home quarantine. I am following all safety protocols under the advice of my doctors. Grateful for all your love and support. Please stay safe and take care."

Alia's diagnosis came just days after her boyfriend, actor Ranbir Kapoor, had tested negative. Ranbir's mother, Neetu Kapoor, had confirmed that he had contracted the virus, in a March 9 Instagram post.

Actor Kartik Aaryan, who had also been shooting a film, announced on social media that he had tested positive, hours after appearing at the Lakme India Fashion Week as the showstopper. "Positive ho gaya. Dua karo (I am positive. Pray for me)," he captioned his post, shared on March 22.

On March 18, actor Aamir Khan announced to the media, via his spokesperson, that he had tested positive for Covid-19. “Mr. Aamir Khan has tested positive for Covid 19. He is at home in self quarantine, following all the protocols and he’s doing fine. All those who came in contact with him in the recent past should get themselves tested as a precautionary measure. Thank you for all your wishes and concern,” the spokesperson said.

Aamir's 3 Idiots co-star, R Madhavan, announced in a humorous post that made a reference to their film, that he, too, had contracted the virus. "Farhan HAS to follow Rancho and Virus has always been after us BUT this time he bloody caught up," he tweeted on March 25.

Another of Aamir's former co-stars -- Fatima Sana Shaikh, who has worked with him on Dangal and Thugs of Hindostan -- announced her positive diagnosis on March 29.

Other actors who've been affected in the second wave include Tara Sutaria, Manoj Bajpayee, Satish Kaushik, Paresh Rawal, Rohit Saraf, and Vikrant Massey. Last year, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, and Aaradhya Bachchan had all recovered from the virus.