Do any of you want to learn how to slip in a bombshell with minimum fuss or fanfare? You are invited to study Bollywood hero Salman Khan, who – in between reciting a laundry list of the numerous disadvantages of matrimony – casually revealed that he lives with a life-threatening brain condition during an appearance on The Great Indian Kapil Show this past Saturday.
"I am working despite having trigeminal neuralgia, I am working despite having an aneurysm in my brain, and I have AV malformation and I am still going strong," noted the Sikandar star in the matter-fact-tone of one reeling off the symptoms of a cold.
What does this mean?
This is not the first time Salman has mentioned his trigeminal neuralgia in public. The Bollywood legend had opened up about his condition in Dubai in 2017. According to the Mayo Clinic website, trigeminal neuralgia is a long-lasting chronic pain condition that causes intense pain similar to an electric shock on one side of the face. It affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries signals from the face to the brain. Even light touch from brushing your teeth or putting on makeup may trigger a jolt of pain.
However, it was on this latest appearance on The Great Indian Kapil Show that Salman touched upon his other two neurological conditions. A brain aneurysm is a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain, and can cause bleeding in the brain if it leaks or ruptures, also known as a haemorrhagic stroke.
Meanwhile, arteriovenous malformation (or AV malformation) is a rare defect in the connection between arteries and veins, usually in the brain or spine. In a normal system, arteries carry blood to tissues and veins carry it back. In an AVM, this network is tangled, and blood flows directly from arteries to veins, bypassing capillaries, which can cause bleeding, seizures, headaches, or neurological issues.
What fans say
A section of Salman's fans expressed their concerns for his health and wished him well for the future.
"Praying for his speedy recovery and healing," wrote one fan, as another penned. "Get well soon Salman sir, you are the heartbeat of India."
However, Salman's casual retelling of his medical diagnoses proved to be yet another chance for netizens to show that they are, by and large, an unsentimental, cynical crowd.
"You should rest because your movies are not performing well. Plus, there is that threat from Bishnoi," advised one commenter, referencing the numerous death threats the actor has received from Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
Yet another Instagram user (or troll) brought back memories of the X post Salman deleted after celebrating the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in May – unlike his fellow Bollywood stars, who had expressed their support for Indian military action on social media. "Maybe this is why he tweeted about a ceasefire, maybe his brain wasn't working, or maybe his brain has developed a love for Pakistan," added the follower.
Not as bad as marriage
Life threatening though his neurological conditions may be, the actor's determined anti-marriage stance shows that in his eyes, the dangers of tying the knot and sharing his life with a woman far outweigh the risk posed by almost anything else. Living his professional life in the public eye, the actor has lost count of the number of times he has been asked why he has never been married, and this time, he did not hold back his loathing of the very concept of marriage.
"I always say, what benefit is it to you if I get married? Do you get any enjoyment from this? What have I done to you that would cause you to take such great joy from my downfall?" joked the Race 3 star.
Proving that he finds acquiring a wife no laughing matter, however, Salman laid out his argument point by point. "The thing is, that patience, those fights and the sacrifices a husband and wife would make for one another – that tolerance all gone now. Now people go looking for divorce over their partner's leg coming over on their side of the bed, or for snoring too loudly or other small misunderstandings."
Salman said "people", but his next words proved that what he really meant was "women" – as in, it is women who end up causing men the most pain during any relationship. "And then – divorce is one thing – but then she would also take half your earnings!" continued a passionate (and disillusioned) Salman before a crowd wracked with mirth at his cutting observations.
Cloaked within this open disdain of marriage came the revelation of Salman's medical difficulties – not that he dwelt on them with half as much passion as as he detailed why he would never be induced to acquire a wife. As a committed action hero where the job description demands dances and stunts, Salman wryly noted that with a career laden with physical risks, taking on board the gamble of marriage is simply not worth it and makes no financial sense.
"In this job, there are so many high octane shots where you may break so many bones and tear so many muscles – and all of this [marital trouble] would also be happening on the side!" he continued. "And the minute her mood takes a dip and she snaps, she would be off with half of my money!"
Salman did concede, however, that bowing down to tradition and getting married would have been less trouble in his youth. "It's easier to put up with when you're younger, because you can earn all your money back! But at this age, it's not so easy."
In other words, there is no hope for any woman who harbours any romantic fantasies about the way this 59-year-old actor can battle broken bones and neurological conditions. Aneurysm or no aneurysm, Salman remains firmly against marriage, and there is nothing anyone can do to change his mind.
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