Aamir Khan, Sanya Malhotra helped co-star Fatima Sana Shaikh during an epilepsy seizure on Dangal set. Actress shares how she learnt to work and 'live around it'

Actor Fatima Sana Shaikh, who rose to fame with the 2016 blockbuster Dangal, has often spoken openly about her battle with Epilepsy, a neurological disorder that causes seizures. In a recent chat with actress Soha Ali Khan, the actress recalled a frightening moment during the film’s shoot when she experienced a seizure while training. She also shared how her co-stars and the production team supported her during that difficult time.

Fatima Sana Shaikh opens up about battling with epilepsy

Speaking on Soha Ali Khan’s podcast All About Her, Fatima revealed that the symptoms began even before the actual seizure. She explained that she would experience something known as “auras,” which are warning signs that sometimes occur before a seizure. According to the actress, she would see a strange light forming on one side of her vision, which slowly grew stronger until it took over her sight.

At the time, however, she did not understand what these symptoms meant. Fatima said she would often ignore the sensation and continue training for the physically demanding role in Dangal, where she had to undergo intense wrestling preparation.



The situation became more serious when one such episode occurred during training on set. Fatima said she informed the people around her that she might be about to have a seizure, even though she herself was not completely sure what was happening. Those present on set initially struggled to understand the situation.

According to the actress, her co-stars, "luckily Aamir (Khan) tha aur Sanya (Malhotra) werethere, Kripa Shankar Bishnoi jo humein train kar rahe the, woh the... and futafut Google kiya, unko answers mile, unn logo ne side pe rakha, jo bhi hua. And then eventually I think as a production house, they took it upon themselves ki we have to figure out what this is because a lot was riding on me, the whole film."

"They took me to a doctor, they did all the MRIs, they did an EEG, sab kuch, they took me to a certain doctor, a neurologist in Bombay at that time, he put me on medication. It was a medication that was just too much for me. Aisa lagta tha that I'm under the influence. So I couldn't walk straight, everything was wonky, I was feeling very depressed and angry, I was all the time very angry, and sad, I felt very alienated. Then I stopped taking medication. So I started medication, I was feeling all of this, and I was like 'I can't function, I have to wrestle', she further added.

However, the treatment turned out to be difficult for the actress. Fatima explained that the medication caused several side effects that made daily functioning challenging. She said it left her feeling disoriented and emotionally overwhelmed. She also experienced mood swings, including anger and sadness, and found it hard to walk or maintain balance.

Because the medication affected her ability to continue her training and shooting schedule, Fatima eventually decided to stop taking it. She admitted that she discontinued the medication without informing anyone at the time because she feared it would affect her work.

For several years, the actress quietly dealt with the condition on her own. She revealed that whenever she sensed an aura, she would isolate herself to avoid alarming others. Sometimes she would go to the bathroom and lock the door, hoping the episode would pass without anyone noticing.

How actress learnt to work with it?

In the same chat, Fatima said this continued for nearly four years before she gradually learned to accept her condition. Over time, she began understanding how to manage the symptoms and organise her work and personal life around it.

Looking at her journey, the actress said that accepting the condition helped her move forward. She now focuses on maintaining a balance between her health and professional responsibilities.



"So, like I have my highs are extreme highs, and my lows are extreme lows, where I don't want to get out of the house, when I don't want to get out of bed, and then thank god I work and thank god I have responsibilities because it forces you. So I think that because there are responsibilities that I have to push myself, because I have no other option. Like if I'm working, if I don't come to the set, then I won't get other films. Yeah. So there's a lot at stake. So I feel that when you're working, and you have responsibilities, you're forced to show up, and that also helps."

On the work front, Fatima Sana Shaikh was last seen in Gustaakh Ishq, where she starred alongside Vijay Varma. The film is currently available for streaming on the OTT platform - JioHotstar.