They say you have to suffer for your art– this actor and director took that literally.
Shooting a major feature film is exhausting work. Salman Khan, a huge name in Indian cinema, has been acting and directing for almost 30 years, so that was nothing new to him. He was directing the film Tiger Zinda Hai, well aware that it would be a challenge. The movie was a follow up to Ek Tha Tiger, which was filmed in five different countries.
As prepared as Khan was for the artistic challenge, another factor was thrown into the mix while her shot Tiger Zinda Hai in the ferociously cold mountains of Austria. Khan suffers from trigeminal neuralgia. Every time the temperatures dropped too low, it would trigger episodes of excruciating paint. Khan has undergone multiple surgeries to treat his condition, which helps alleviate the tremendous pain.
Trigeminal neuralgia is a neurological condition that affects the trigeminal nerve which runs through the face. It causes chronic, intense pain. It may feel like burning, stabbing, or an electrical shock, and can last anywhere from seconds to hours. There are multiple causes and various suggested treatments to help ease the pain, but no cure that works for everyone. Extreme temperatures, hot or cold, can trigger an attack. To learn more about this rare condition, click here.
Khan suffered, not only from severe pain, but from a high fever. However, he refused to rest, since he didn’t want to put off filming. The movie was running on a short schedule, so he pushed through the time in Austria. A crew member says no one even heard him complain. The crew member also notes that the action shots were difficult because of Khan’s condition. He reminds us that no matter how easy the action might look when we watch it at home, the scenes are actually a product of an incredible amount of hard work and pain.
This is not a recommended approach that can be applied to the patient population– Khan had the benefit of already receiving surgery, and many people with TN cannot and should not aggravate their condition by exposing their bodies to this type of stress. This is a reminder that can apply as we look at the work of people with rare diseases everywhere. Whether they’re actors or teachers, students or baristas, children, parents, or patients learning how to hold a spoon– an incredible amount of work and perseverance goes into making something almost impossible look easy.