When Amitabh Bachchan Was Declared 'Clinically Dead' After A Near-Fatal Accident On 'Coolie' Set

Amitabh Bachchan was once declared ‘clinically dead’ in the hospital after suffering a fatal blow on the sets of his superhit film, Coolie. His injuries were so severe that it soon turned out to be a life-threatening emergency. However, Jaya Bachchan stood like a rock through the tough times, and her unyielding resilience could not let fate have its way.

Amitabh Bachchan was declared 'clinically dead' after sustaining a near-fatal injury during a shooting

The unfortunate incident unfolded on the sets of Coolie, a film that would go on to be a blockbuster, but not for its storyline or performances alone. The film was remembered for a near-fatal accident that left the entire nation in mourning. During a high-energy fight sequence with actor, Puneet Issar, a mistimed jump caused Amitabh Bachchan to hit the corner of a table, leading to a severe internal injury. Unfortunately, what started out as a routine stunt turned into a life-threatening emergency.

Bachchan was rushed to a hospital, bleeding internally. The medical team fought to stabilise him, but the situation turned critical. As the hours passed, his vitals gradually dropped to zero, and doctors even declared him clinically dead. The news spread like wildfire within a matter of hours; colleagues and politicians, including Bachchan’s close friend, Rajiv Gandhi, waited anxiously for a ray of hope. In light of the news, fans all over the nation prayed for the megastar’s speedy recovery, some fasted, and some even walked barefoot to holy sites. 

Years later, in an interview with Simi Garewal, Amitabh Bachchan narrated the ordeal when probed about the time he was declared clinically dead. The actor recalled the extent of his injury which had caused him to go into a state of coma. Recalling the horrors of the accident, Big B shared:

“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 found a ray of hope when she saw a faint movement 

Inside the hospital, his wife, Jaya Bachchan, refused to give up hope. In an emotional recounting years later on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, she shared how she clutched the Hanuman Chalisa in her hands, unable to read the words, or even process the thought that her husband might be gone. However, as she watched the team of doctors attempt to revive him, she suddenly noticed a faint toe moment. Recalling the day, Jaya shared:

“I had reached the hospital where my brother-in-law… sort of took me up, he asked me to be brave and then I am going to tell you. I was like, no it’s not possible, he’s not going to do this. I know it’s not possible. 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.”

Amitabh Bachchan’s long road to recovery

Even though Amitabh could be revived, his battle was far from over. In the days that followed, Big B had to undergo multiple surgeries. Through this ordeal, the actor reportedly lost around 75% of body strength. By the time he was done with the surgeries, he had lost his ability to walk. He had to re-learn how to walk, and the exhaustion was evident from his stark physical transformation. From being a powerhouse of energy that once dominated the silver scream, Abhitabh now had to fight even to stand; his face had changed, and his hair had thinned.

During this time, his son, Abhishek Bachchan, who was just six years old, had an asthma attack after a schoolmate bluntly told him that his father was going to die. The trauma of those days left a lasting impact on the Bachchan family, one that they rarely speak about in public. It took Amitabh Bachchan months of rest and nurturing to recover from the near-fatal accident. He remained mostly shielded from news and the outside world during this period.

For months, the actor remained in recovery, shielded from news and the outside world. His return to the sets was met with an outpouring of love and emotion. Coolie was eventually completed, but in a poetic twist, the climax was rewritten. Originally, the protagonist was meant to die, but the filmmakers changed the ending after Amitabh’s real-life battle against death. The hero had to live, just as he had in reality. After its release, Coolie became an instant box-office hit.

Today, even more than four decades later, the story of Amitabh Bachchan’s survival remains one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of Indian cinema!

Also Read: When Raj Babbar Confessed His Affair With Rekha, After His Second Wife, Smita Patil's Tragic Death

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