Amitabh Bachchan was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis after becoming ill while filming Shehenshah, according to the film’s director.
One of the biggest actors in Indian cinema is Amitabh Bachchan. Many of his followers still adore the various personas he has played throughout the years. The 1988 film “Shahenshah” is one example. The movie is still relevant and well-known. His outsized appearance in the movie and the speech are still well-known.
Director Tinnu Anand has now revealed that Big B was given a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis after becoming ill while filming and was told by the doctors that he might never act again.
Tinnu recentlyrevealed that Amitabh Bachchan was shooting for the film in Mysore when he got injured. The director said, “When I reached Mysore, I was told that he’s got injured and he’s been taken to Bangalore for a checkup and he has asked you to come to Bangalore. So I reached there and I was told to wait in the hotel where I will meet Amitabh. And then finally, when he arrived, he knew the kind of jittery person I was. He said, ‘just sit down, please, before you fall.’ I’ve got bad news for you.’”
Tinnu continued, “He asked me to cancel my schedule as he has got something called Myasthenia Gravis, which is a disease of the muscles. He said, ‘During the shoot when I was taking a sip of water, it got stuck in my throat. The message to my brain did not go that I have to swallow it, so it got stuck. I nearly died, suffocating on it.’ He explained that he had been asked to go to Bombay for a checkup and complete rest. He said the doctors had warned him that I might never be able to work again.’ I collapsed, I think he called an ambulance.”
The director then revealed that a report in a newspaper changed everything. He said, “Journalist Khalid Mohamad wrote that he had a meeting with Amitabh and Amitabh had said, ‘Sorry, I have to give up on acting.’”
After that, Tinnu described how lenders started making repayment demands, which prompted them to start looking for an actor to replace Amitabh Bachchan, though ultimately no replacement was found. Ajitabh Bachchan, Amitabh’s brother, offered confidence that Amitabh would satisfy his film commitments after returning from his medical treatment abroad, which was a promising development. Amitabh’s return, as fate would have it, was the pivotal moment. Shahenshah, which also featured Meenakshi Sheshadri as the lead actress, became the third-highest grossing movie of 1988 and cemented its place in cinema history.
