JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Did you know Amitabh Bachchan almost lost his life after Coolie accident, doctors declared…: Here’s what really happened
Amitabh Bachchan’s near-fatal accident on the sets of Coolie in 1982 left him declared ‘clinically dead’ before a miraculous recovery that shocked fans and changed his life forever.
Amitabh Bachchan’s near-fatal accident during the filming of Coolie in 1982 remains one of the most shocking moments in Indian cinema history. The superstar was declared “clinically dead” after sustaining a severe internal injury during a fight sequence with actor Puneet Issar. The incident not only left fans across the country in shock but also revealed the actor’s incredible resilience in the face of life-threatening health complications.
The accident on 'Coolie' set
During a fight scene for Coolie, a mistimed jump caused Amitabh Bachchan to hit the corner of a table, resulting in a serious intestinal injury. The actor was rushed to the hospital, where his condition quickly worsened. He suffered heavy internal bleeding, and at one point, doctors declared him clinically dead, as per Times of India.
Years later, in an interview with Simi Garewal, Bachchan recalled: “I was in a comma. I had ruptured my intestine in the accident on the set. And then there was the surgery which was conducted almost as an emergency. We went to Bombay 5 days later, the sutures ruptured, and I had to have another surgery. It was the end of that surgery where I couldn’t come out of anaesthesia for 12-14 hours. That’s when they felt it was all over because there was hardly any pulse, BP was down to almost zero.”
Jaya Bachchan’s unwavering support
Inside the hospital, Jaya Bachchan refused to give up hope. She later recalled the emotional moment when she noticed a sign of life. On Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, she shared: “I had the prayer book in my hand, Hanuman Chalisa. Dr Dastoor passed by and said, ‘It’s only your prayers that’ll help.’ But I couldn’t read it. I couldn’t see what they were doing but I could see that they were pumping his heart, they were giving him injections. And after they gave up, I saw his toe move, and I said, ‘He moved, he moved.’ And then he revived.”
Here’s what happened after his recovery
Though revived, Bachchan’s struggle was not over. He underwent multiple surgeries and lost nearly 75% of his body strength. At one point, he had to relearn how to walk. Actor-filmmaker Tinnu Anand revealed that Bachchan was later diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes muscular weakness. Anand recalled Bachchan telling him:
“During the shoot when I was taking a sip of the water, it got stuck in my throat, because the message to my brain didn’t go that I had to swallow it. I nearly died suffocating on it.”
Doctors even advised him to give up acting, leading to the temporary shelving of Shahenshah. However, Bachchan made a remarkable recovery, and by 1988, Shahenshah was released, marking his strong comeback.
ALSO READ: Did Amitabh Bachchan scold son Abhishek Bachchan for leaving food on his plate? Know what happened
