Sushmita Sen Doesn't Take Life 'for Granted' After Heart Attack: 'I've Put Myself In...' | Exclusive

In 2020, Sushmita Sen revealed that she battled with an autoimmune condition called Addison’s disease for four years. She shared that she suffered from ‘a fatigued body filled with immense frustration and aggression’, had dark circles and had ‘steroids substitute cortisol’ along with several side-effects. And earlier this year, she suffered a cardiac arrest during the shoot of the second season of her hit web show, Aarya, in Jaipur and underwent an angioplasty and had a stent placed.

Recently, the former Miss Universe exclusively spoke to News18 Showsha about life post her heart attack for the first time and stated that it has made her ‘more fearless’. Shedding further light on it, Sushmita revealed, “I’ve become very aware of the fact that there’s a bigger purpose that I’m here for. That’s mostly what has changed.” She goes on to add that she has learnt to not take life for granted anymore as she shares, “I used to take it for granted. I’m aware why I’m still here given the episode that it was. My latest show Taali is also a step forward in the right direction.”

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Sushmita was last seen on the big screen in 2010 when she appeared in filmmaker Anees Bazmee’s comic caper, No Problem. After a break, she made her comeback with Aarya in 2020, which won her wide critical acclaim. The last decade brought about a lot of changes in her life and nudged her to seek a metamorphosis of sorts. Speaking about it, she says, “I’ve put myself in acting classes and workshops. All the characters I played are so varied that I had to get out of one zone and get into another.”

Taali based on the life of transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant was trailblazing as it saw her play both a man and a transgender woman. “There was a different workshop for Ganesh and a different one for Gauri. So, I had to bring Sushmita into both because without that, there’s no truth. If there’s no truth, I can’t reach you. Through the journey of Aarya and my second innings, I’ve learned that you’ve to stay close to the truth,” she points out.

The Main Hoon Na (2004) and Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005) actor further adds, “I realised that if I’m a human being and portraying another human being, that’s not hard. But if I complicate it by saying that Gauri was a man who became a woman, it would be a reflection of exactly the way the society is divided. If you want to unite them, you’ve to look at it as telling the story of another human being.”

However, the one thing that has remained constant for Sushmita is her appreciation of womanhood. In 1994, her speech about the essence of womanhood at the Miss Universe finale made heads turn and continues to create conversations on social media. Quiz her about it and she candidly tells us, “Nothing has changed. It still remains the same. It’s a blessing to be born as a woman. God bless that 18-year-old me who knew it! The only difference now is that I’ve experienced it.”

Motherhood has further helped her understand what womanhood truly means. “The origin of the child and the mother is a blessing. It’s a blessing to be the nurturer. I’ve always believed that in my core. It surely teaches a man what loving, caring and sharing is. That will never change,” she smiles.