How A Stunt By Amitabh Bachchan Going Wrong On Coolie Set Left Him "Clinically Dead"
In 1982, actor Amitabh Bachchan suffered a near-fatal injury on the sets of Coolie during the shooting of an action scene in Bengaluru.
What Happened
A mistimed punch during a fight sequence with actor Puneet Issar led to severe internal injuries, which left Amitabh Bachchan 'clinically dead' for a brief period.
The incident shocked the entire nation and had a lasting impact on both actors involved.
In an earlier interview with Digital Commentary, Puneet Issar opened up about how the incident changed the course of his career and life.
"People were quite scared of me after that incident. They said he is an 8th-degree black belt holder. People created theories and assumptions. They said, 'Agar itna halka punch bruised Amitabh Bachchan so badly then....(what if he uses all his potential)," he said.
The accident left Puneet jobless for nearly six years, and he recalled how difficult it was to find work again.
He added, "That was maybe my churning period. It made me a better actor and human being." Puneet also said the incident taught him who his real friends were. "Irrespective of the phase, people learn a lot. I learnt to be patient and humble. One second changed my life from a 21-year-old who was signed as the main villain against Amitabh Bachchan, had 10 films in his kitty to someone who suddenly lost all his films. People suddenly forgot that I was a Gold Medalist from actor's studio and a trained artist. I was a professor of language and diction. All this vanished, I suddenly became a 'fighter'. From then, I only received such roles, and to make ends meet I had to take that up. I was married after all."
Puneet Issar, who later gained fame for playing Duryodhana in BR Chopra's Mahabharat, said the Coolie incident made him stronger. "Bad times will come, but I couldn't afford to lose my focus", he said.
What Did Amitabh Bachchan Say About The Incident
Amitabh Bachchan, too, has spoken about the incident in his blog.
Describing the critical moments after the injury, he wrote: "I went into almost a haze and a coma-like situation. Within five days of coming into Breach Candy, I had another surgery and didn't come out of that one for a very, very long time and I was clinically dead for a couple of minutes. Then Dr Wadia, who looked after me and is an absolute life-saver, just said 'I'm going to take a last chance' and he started pumping cortisone/adrenaline injections into me one after another almost, 40 ampules of it, with the hope that something would happen and then I got revived."
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