Zayed Remembers Sanjay Khan's Near-Fatal Fire Accident At 'Tipu Sultan' Set, 'His Skin Was Melting'

In 1989, the sets of The Sword of Tipu Sultan at Premier Studios, Mysore, turned into a nightmare as a massive fire broke out due to faulty firefighting equipment and gross negligence of safety protocols. The horrific blaze that fateful day claimed the lives of 52 crew members. Sanjay Khan, who was the lead actor and director of the project, reportedly suffered over 65% third-degree burns across his body. Sanjay’s son, Zayed, who was just 11 years old at the time, shared how the tragic event deeply impacted his childhood.

Zayed Khan recalls the tight financial conditions when Sanjay Khan got into the accident

In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan on his YouTube channel, the actor revealed that, even at such a young age, he wanted to ease the emotional and financial burden on his family by going to boarding school, believing it would mean one less responsibility for the overwhelmed family. The Main Hoon Na actor shared:

“Dad’s fire accident happened at that time. There was a lot of difficulty in the house. I saw my mother and sisters in a condition which was very disturbing and hurtful for me... There was no insurance at that time, so the family was extremely burdened financially. I just thought that the best thing I could do is take off my burden by going to boarding school. We took autos, sold cars, and our house was mortgaged... It was very tough. I was only 11 years old.”

When Zayed first saw his father post-accident

After learning about the horrible accident, Zayed was dying to see how his father was doing, but when he finally saw his burnt face, he was too shocked to believe it was indeed his father. Describing the harrowing sight, Zayed recalled the veteran director’s face looking like a football, his skin so severely burnt that it melted on the bedsheet. 

However, what moved Zayed the most was his father’s unbelievable courage and indomitable spirit even in the face of such a harrowing situation. The actor, who sensed Zayed’s fear, comforted him and assured him that he would get better soon, and he would not be scared to see him anymore. Recalling the conversation, Zayed shared:

“When he was brought to another hospital after a month, I went to see him... There were two beds in the ICU, both with burnt victims. I passed the first bed… but he called me from behind. It was him. I looked and said, ‘That’s not my father.’ I went closer and saw a man who was burnt. His head was like a football, and his skin was melting on the sheet… he didn’t even see himself in the mirror yet. But he held my hand and said, ‘Zayed, are you scared?’ I didn’t have words to say.”

Sanjay Khan’s miraculous recovery from the life-threatening accident

Even when doctors gave up hope, Sanjay Khan’s resilience shocked everyone. Two painful years and 74 surgeries later, the veteran star not only completed Tipu Sultan but also went on to fulfil his promise of building a better future. Years later, Sanjay took Zayed to Bangalore, where he bought a land and asked his son to lay the foundation brick. The actor recalled:

“He said… ‘Before you know it, I will make a better hospital like this so that people like me don’t have to come here and you don’t have to come and see me like this.’ He also said, ‘I’ll make Tipu Sultan again, and we will have a great time, son.’ He said something so impossible at that time. All the doctors said he was going to die… Two years later, after about 74 surgeries, he completed Tipu Sultan… I have seen impossible become possible.”

Today, Zayad Khan and his family are proud owners of Golden Palms, which later expanded to the Golden Palms hotel. On the work front, Zayed is preparing for his comeback after a prolonged break, with the OTT release, The Film That Never Was.

What do you think of Sanjay Khan's indomitable spirit in the face of death after the Tipu Sultan fire accident?

Read Next: Aaishvary Thackeray, Grandson Of Balasaheb To Make His Debut With Anurag Kashyap's 'Nishaanchi'

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)