Amitabh’s battle with injuries

By: Tripti Narain Bollywood has seen many superstars, but Big B is no ordinary one, he is a legend, a phenomena. The mass hysteria that follows him everywhere he goes is to be seen to be believed. His journey in Indian film industry from late 1960s to the present is marred with tragic accidents. In 1982, he got badly injured while shooting for a fight scene in the film ‘Coolie’. The nation came to a standstill. In a fighting scene with Puneet Issar, Amitabh took a hit on his abdominal area. His intestine got punctured and started leaking. He was gravely ill. India grounded to a halt. Millions prayed, thousands gave blood and kept a candlelit vigil outside his hospital. He finally recovered after several weeks and resumed shooting for Coolie, which became a runaway hit. The infamous scene was kept in the film with the frame frozen at the critical moment when Amitabh got injured. Puneet Issar who accidentally caused the near-fatal injury had overnight become a villain, hated by everyone. He even received threats. The fans were unrelenting.The man this nation adores was injured once again in 1984, he suffered a mishap during the Diwali celebrations when he burnt his left hand. As a result, he was seen keeping his left hand in his pocket, which became a style statement of his character in the film Sharaabi. After 23 long years, as fate would have it, he was once again admitted to hospital for what initially looked like food poisoning. It was not as simple as it appeared. Doctors found out that he was suffering from diverculitis of intestine. The Coolie wound on his intestine had taken its toll. He underwent a string of surgeries. The nation was perturbed again on its megastar’s ill health and was praying to God to save their beloved hero with folded hands. Not only fans but the celebrities as well queued outside the hospital to pray for his good health. The film industry too was put on its edge with a large number of unfinished projects worth millions of rupees at stake and producers waited with bated breath for Big B to recover properly and resume shooting. There aren’t appropriate words to describe the feelings and the emotions of the fans who spent days and nights outside the hospital just to see Amitabh fit and fine again. After his discharge from hospital, Bachchan took a brief break from shooting and rested at home. The big hit game show Kaun Banega Crorepati- part 2 was taken off air. This love and adulation has made Amitabh Bachchan the undisputed superstar for centuries. Today, the man known as the `Big B` is bigger than ever.