Why did Amitabh Bachchan tweet 'T 4950 – in gratitude ever' while in hospital for an angioplasty to restore blood flow

Amitabh Bachchan in Agneepath. The Bollywood superstar has battled health conditions from hepatitis B to myasthenia gravis - an autoimmune condition. Earlier today (Friday, March 15), he was taken to Kokilaben Hospital for an angioplasty. After the in-patient procedure, his first thoughts on X (Twitter) went out to his cricket team Majhi Mumbai that will play in the final of the ISPL-T10 tournament Dadoji Kondadev Stadium in Thane later today. (Image via X)

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has undergone an angioplasty. Sr Bachchan was admitted to the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai on Friday, March 15. Reports say that the megastar of the Hindi film industry was brought in to the hospital under very tight security conditions. In the afternoon, the Bollywood actor took to his social media on X and tweeted a phrase that expressed his gratitude. He wrote on X, “T 4950 – in gratitude ever.”

What does “T 4950 – in gratitude ever.” mean?

Amitabh Bachchan's tweet soon after news broke of his medical procedure excited curiosity among the superstar's mega fans. Bachchan followed the tweet up with a longer message to Majhi Mumbai, his Indian Street Premier League - T10 (ISPL-T10) ten-over cricket team, which recently made it to the final of the tournament:

"T 4950 - Aankh kholke dekh lo, kaan lagake sun lo,

Majhi Mumbai ki hogi Jai Jaikaar, yeh baat ab maanlo."

(It loosely translates as: Open your eyes and ear. Majhi Mumbai will prevail - believe it.)

ISPL-T10 has six teams in its inaugural tournament, from March 6-15, 2024. Each of the six teams has a Bollywood owner. Apart from Amitabh Bachchan's Majhi Mumbai, the teams and team owners are:

Srinagar Ke Veer - Akshay Kumar

Falcon Risers Hyderabad - Ram Charan

Chennai Singams - Suriya Sivakumar

Bangalore Strikers - Hrithik Roshan

Tigers of Kolkata - Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan

Earlier Bachchan Sr had also posted a small video of him with his son Abhishek Bachchan on his social media platform about his recent appearance at an ISPL match captioning it as, “T 4950 – Aankh kholke dekh lo, kaan lagake sun lo, Majhi Mumbai ki hogi Jai Jaikaar, yeh baat ab maanlo.”

Amitabh Bachchan's health update

Bachchan, 81, has reportedly undergone an angioplasty at the Kokilaben Hospital and more details about the star’s health are awaited.

An angioplasty is done when cholesterol plaque builds up in an artery and restricts blood flow to vital organs. The medical procedure is done by inserting a thin tube (catheter) into the blood vessel and blowing a kind of balloon that pushes the cholesterol to the sides and opens up the artery to restore the flow of blood. The procedure does not, however, reduce or remove cholesterol.

The octogenarian has now become an icon when it comes to a disciplined lifestyle and disease management because of the numerous health issues he has had over the years.

In 2000, doctors diagnosed him with Hepatitis B, revealing that only 25 percent of his liver was still functioning. Hepatitis B is a viral infection that is transmitted through bodily fluids, including blood transfusions, and typically affects the liver. In 1982, Amitabh Bachchan received blood from 200 donors after an accident on the sets of Coolie left him ‘clinically dead’. Doctors were able to revive him on August 2 that year, but one of the 200 blood donors who saved his life back then passed on the Hepatitis B infection to him.

Bachchan has battled other health conditions, too. He spoke up about suffering from myasthenia gravis - an autoimmune condition that affects nerve signals to the muscles - on his long-running TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati. In the past, the actor has also suffered from gastro issues that turned into diverticulitis of the small intestine and required surgery. The veteran actor once battled tuberculosis of the spine as well.