Amitabh Bachchan, who is recuperating at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai following surgery for an intestinal ailment, has now switched to a liquid diet.

Veteran comedian Asrani, who visited Bachchan at the hospital, told reporters that the superstar has been reading newspapers and has begun on a liquid diet. It's a piece of news that will bring a smile on the face of the movie monarch's millions of fans.

"Amitabh Bachchan's sense of humour is back," Asrani added.

Apart from Asrani, Sahara group chief Subrato Roy also visited Bachchan at the hospital, sources said.

Bachchan, who is recovering from diverticulitis of small intestine, is being kept in the intesive care unit for a few more days on the request of his family, although he is fit enough to be shifted out of ICU.

The star's improving health had allowed him to take a brief stroll inside the ICU on Sunday.