Jaya Bachchan on Amitabh being declared 'clinically dead': He's not going to do this to us, can't let us down (Throwback)

Apart from several other things, the nation would remember the year 1982 for one big reason – the rebirth of Amitabh Bachchan. The Shehenshah of Bollywood, had met with an almost fatal accident during the shoot of Coolie in June 1982. The actor underwent several emergency operations and procedures. However, it was during one such operation in August when Amitabh couldn't come back to senses after being given anaesthesia.

The kids – Shweta Bachchan and Abhishek had no idea what had happened to their father and Jaya had gone to check on them, when she had received frantic calls from her brother-in-law. When Jaya reached the hospital, she was told to be brave and was told that Bachchan was not responding to any of the treatments anymore. Jaya had recalled a doctor telling her that only prayers would work now. Mrs Bachchan said she had Hanuman Chalisa in her hand but she couldn't read it. She held it tightly in her hands.

Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya BachchanVarinder Chawla

Jaya bared her heart out

Talking to Simi Garewal on her show, Jaya had said, "When I had reached the hospital where my brother-in-law said, "Where were you, we were searching for you? We have been looking for you?" And I said I went home to see kids. Then he sort of took me up, he asked me to be brave and then I am going to tell you. I was like, no it's not possible, he's not going to do this. I know it's not possible. I had the prayer book in my hand, hanuman chalisa. Dr Dastoor passed by and said, 'It's only your prayers that'll help.' But I couldn't read it. I couldn't see what they were doing but I could see that they were pumping his heart, they were giving him injections. And after they gave up, I saw his toe move, and I said, 'He moved, he moved.'"

Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya

Jaya's faith in Amitabh

On being asked by Simi what was going through her mind all throughout this, Jaya had said, "I think I had just stopped thinking about what could have happened or what can happen. I was sort of always felt that he'll fight. He'll overcome all his problems. And because in Bangalore, he was very bad. There were certain things he said to me, that were there in my mind and there was no way that he's going to let us down. That was the faith I had."

Ever since then, fans and well-wishers of the actor keep celebrating August 2 as Amitabh Bachchan's re-birth day.