Vijay Varma recalls witnessing Fatima Sana Shaikh’s on-set seizure, 'I felt vulnerable and helpless'

Fatima Sana Shaikh has consistently spoken about her life with epilepsy, a neurological condition that leads to recurrent seizures. Her condition came into sharp focus recently when her Gustaakh Ishq co-star Vijay Varma recounted witnessing her have a seizure during the film’s shoot.

She briefed the team before the incident

In a recent interview with Mashable India, Vijay shared that Fatima sensed early signs of a potential seizure and proactively informed him along with a few team members.


“She had warned me and 2-3 team members beforehand, and she had given us a guidelines of what to do when she gets a seizure. I thought is she saying this to scare us,” he said, admitting he initially assumed she might be overcautious.

The moment that left Vijay shaken

Vijay described the late-night moment when the seizure occurred.

“During pack-up time… I heard something, and by that time, she had gotten a seizure. I felt so vulnerable and helpless. But then I recalled all the things that she had told me,” he shared.

He immediately stepped in and followed her instructions.

“We emptied out a bed on the shoot and made her lie down and asked people to give her space. I just kept my hand on her head and sat near her,” he recalled.

Once the seizure passed, they drove her back to the hotel. “When she came to the hotel, she was awake, but she didn’t recall everything.”

Fatima explains why she doesn’t remember her seizures

Fatima clarified that the loss of memory is common.

“When you get a proper seizure, at that time, you don’t know what is happening. It’s a proper wipe out,” she said. She added that a lack of awareness often leads people to misinterpret the condition. “Many times... people think iska toh natak hai. Because there is no awareness about it.”

For Vijay, the incident forged a new emotional connection.

“I felt so protective of her, and I think I found a new kind of a bond with her... maybe that’s why we have this kind of a friendship,” he expressed.



Gustaakh Ishq, directed by Vibhu Puri and also featuring Naseeruddin Shah and Sharib Hashmi, is set to release on November 28.

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