The health condition of legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee improved a lot and he has also started speaking a little bit, doctors treating him at the city-based private hospital, said on Friday.

The 85-year-old thespian's oxygen saturation has also improved while his Sodium and Potassium have been corrected, they said.

"Mr Chatterjee is doing very well. He is recovering and his consciousness has gone better substantially. He is obeying commands and is responsive and certainly understanding a few words. The good part is he is speaking a little bit but not full fledged mode. We are giving all sorts of good therapy," Dr Arindam Kar, leading the team of 15 doctors, treating the actor, said.

The veteran actor slept well last night and his restlessness has also improved, he added.

Chatterjee, who was on BiPAP (a non-invasive ventilation used for breathing support administered via a face or nasal mask) in the night but in the morning was put on a nasal mask, the doctor said.

"He has no fever for over 50 hours now. Kidneys, heart, liver all are within acceptable ranges. Mr Chatterjee's saturations are more than 96 per cent on a support of 40 per cent of oxygen only. Both of his Sodium and Potassium levels have been corrected. No new complications had happened. This is a very good sign," Dr Kar said.

Talking about their planned treatment, he said that a few normal and regular tests will be conducted on Chatterjee on Friday.

"Normal and regular tests will be repeated today. We have completed the course of Remdesivir, plasma and others. We are thinking to increase the dose of specific medicines to reduce the encephalopathy burden and dose of other medicines to enhance his immunity and counter the impact of encephalopathy," he said.

Chatterjee was also responding well to the music therapy administered to improve his neurological issues.

"We have been giving him the choices of music he likes, especially Rabindrasangeet, the music from the movies he has acted in. He has responded well to that also. Let's hope in coming two three days he improves substantially as he has been in the last 24 hours and he comes out of it in good shape," Dr Kar said.

The critically acclaimed actor, who has the rare distinction of having worked with maestros like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha and Tarun Mazumdar, was admitted to a private hospital here on October 6 after he tested positive for COVID-19.

He had to be shifted to the ITU after his condition deteriorated.

Chatterjee tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday following which he was shifted to a non-COVID ITU for treatment.

Chatterjee had resumed shooting a few days ago. Parambrata, another noted Bengali actor, completed the shooting of Abhiyan under his direction. Jisshu Sengupta will be seen playing the role of young Soumitra in the film. Soumitra himself plays his older self in the film.

Chatterjee is best known for his collaboration with Oscar-winner Satyajit Ray and the Feluda series. Soumitra immortalised the titular role of Feluda in Ray's films.

He was a part of several other works of Ray, including Apu'r Sangshar or The World Of Apu. Some of Chatterjee's best works include Ashani Sanket, Ghare Baire, Aranyer Din Ratri, Charulata, Shakha Proshakha, Jhinder Bandi, Saat Pake Bandha, and more.