Puneet Issar On Losing Films After Amitabh Bachchan Was 'Clinically Dead' During Coolie: 'People Were Scared Of Me'
Despite following the scene’s choreography, Puneet Issar faced severe backlash.
Amitabh Bachchan’s near-death experience on the set of Coolie in 1982 remains one of Bollywood’s most shocking moments. During a high-stakes action scene, Puneet Issar was supposed to throw a mock punch at Amitabh Bachchan. But things took a dangerous turn when Amitabh misjudged a leap and landed awkwardly on a table, suffering a life-threatening injury. Though he initially brushed it off, his condition quickly worsened, forcing doctors to perform an emergency surgery. As Big B fought for his life, the entire nation was glued to the news, praying for his recovery.
Despite following the scene’s choreography, Puneet Issar faced severe backlash. In a recent chat with Digital Commentary, Puneet recalled how he was jobless for nearly six years as people refused to work with him. He said, “People were quite scared of me after that incident. They said he is 8th degree black belt holder. People created theories and assumptions. They said, ‘Agar itna halka punch bruised Amitabh Bachchan so badly then….(what if he uses all his potential)." He added, “That was maybe my churning period. It made me a better actor and human being."
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He added, “Irrespective of the phase, people learn a lot. I learnt to be patient and humble. One second changed my life from a 21-year-old who was signed as the main villain against Amitabh Bachchan, had 10 films in his kitty to someone who suddenly lost all his films. People suddenly forgot that I was a Gold Medalist from the Actors’ Studio and a trained artist. I was a professor of language and diction. All this vanished, I suddenly became a ‘fighter’. From then, I only received such roles, and to make ends meet, I had to take that up. I was married after all."
Puneet issar never worked with Amitabh Bachchan after Coolie. He, however, went on to share screen space with Amitabh Bachchan’s son Abhishek Bachchan in his debut film Refugee.
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