As fans of ailing Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan prayed at a Hindu temple here Thursday for his recovery, the elaborate religious ceremonies were led by a look-alike of the star - Javed Khan, a Muslim.

Bachchan underwent surgery in Mumbai Wednesday night after being admitted to hospital with severe abdominal pain. His illness has led to millions of his fans across the country organising special prayers for his recovery.

In this Madhya Pradesh capital, the NGO Jan Parishad arranged hour-long special prayers at the Mata Mandir Thursday.

"We want Amitabh Bachchan to recover as soon as possible. So we worshipped at the Mata Mandir. It is said that whoever worships at this temple gets his or her wish fulfilled," said Sanjay Sharma, a member of Jan Parishad.

Asked about the prayers being led by a Muslim, Sharma said: "So what if Javed Khan is a Muslim? Being similar to Bachchan, there was no better person who could have led the ceremonies than Javed."

Khan remarked: "I am a staunch fan of Amitabh Bachchan. I have prayed for him at mosques and I am ready to oblige any fan of Bachchan.

"Moreover," he said, "Amitabh Bachchan has a strong connection with Bhopal. After all, his wife Jaya Bachchan hails from Bhopal and he has been to this city several times."

On Wednesday, special ceremonies were held in the famous Mahakaleshwar temple in the holy city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.