2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Habib Mithiborwala: 20 years later, I am still fighting, but I haven't given up
As Mumbai marks 20 years since the devastating 2005 floods, actor Habib Mithiborwala shares his inspiring story of how even after being declared dead in the hospital, he didn't give up. Known for his role in the popular show Remix (2006) Habib recalls the horrific day, as he tells us, 'As I wasn't shooting that day, I had gone out to collect my TDS certificate. The AC gas somehow got leaked into the car and I fainted. When I regained consciousness the next morning, I realised my body was stuck in that seated position, knees folded, and blood circulation had completely stopped. I couldn't feel my legs at all.' Mumbai Floods | Habib Mithiborwala : I am still fighting, but I haven't given up
He further adds, 'I couldn't open the car door even, but managed to push it open through my body weight and somehow crawled out. Some people saw me and said, 'ye toh mar gaya hai', and they took my valuables (gold chain, watch, etc). I was barely conscious. The same people took me to a Nursing Home.'
The 44-year-old actor mentions how he was declared dead at the nursing home. "There was no electricity. Machines weren't working, and my body temperature had dropped quite low. I could hear everything around me but couldn't move - I was paralyzed. I was blue by then, not just the skin, but my whole body had turned blue. I even heard a nurse say, 'post-mortem kara do iska'. That hit me hard. I heard the word 'police' and 'post-mortem', and in my head, I kept thinking: I'm still alive,' recalls Habib, adding, "It was when the doctors arrived, they made one last attempt as they injected me in my abdomen, and suddenly I started vomiting water at least three to four litres water and oil. That saved me.'
He was then moved to Nanavati Hospital where the prognosis was grim. He mentions, 'They told my family I might develop gangrene. My elder brother, who's a dentist, got me moved to another hospital. That's where the real journey began. I was in the hospital for 3.5 months. I couldn't eat solid food for that entire period. I've had more than 60 operations since then.'
The damage was permanent he was told, but Habib refused to let it define him. 'Today, I have only 40% muscle in my limbs. But I still walk, dance, go horse riding, drive-- I've done it all.' Over the years, his body has endured immense medical intervention. 'From 2005 till now, I've received 80 bottles of blood — 10 red, 70 white. Doctors called me the 'medical boy'. They still don't understand how I'm able to walk.'
Life, as he knew it, changed forever. 'I lost everything, my girlfriend back then, she left me when the doctors said I'd never walk again. I couldn't act as the focus was only recovery. I still don't have movement in two parts of my legs. It's like walking on a rope, constantly balancing. Even now, I do gym, swimming — just to stay fit. Because I have to carry 67 kilos of weight on just 30–40% muscle. Imagine what that feels like.'
Things went downhill for him professionally as he lost work. 'People forget you quickly. I remember going to a producer's office where I was told, 'you're not hero material anymore'. I had shared my experience with a production house. I really want people to see me for the talent I have and not for what I went through. I am a fighter. I've auditioned for Fear Factor, Bigg Boss, a lot of reality shows. I really want to do one, because my story is still unheard. People don't know the fight I've put in. I just want a medium where I can say — I'm still here," he says.
