Amitabh Bachchan: Didn’t Know For Eight Years I Had Tuberculosis

Big B has no inhibitions in calling himself a Tuberculosis survivor

Amitabh Bachchan is a tuberculosis survivor. Tuberculosis is no longer the disease of the poor. Look around in urban clinics, more than half of the patients are from well to do families. 

(Photo: Yogen Shah)

“I did not know for almost 8 years I was suffering from Tuberculosis.”

-Amitabh Bachchan

Big B; Bollywood’s biggest superstar; cinematic legend; icon; angry young man - Amitabh Bachchan has many identities. A tuberculosis survivor is an unlikely one.

But Big B has no inhibitions in calling himself a TB survivor.

For eight years, Bollywood’s big patriarch had no inkling that he was suffering from the disease. Speaking at NDTV's Swasth India launch in a conversation with Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Bachchan cited his powerful personal example to urge people to get regular check ups to facilitate an early diagnosis.

“I keep quoting my personal example all the time and try and propagate the idea of getting yourself detected and I don’t mind saying this publicly <b>I am a tuberculosis survivor, Hepatitis B survivor..</b>.”

Amitabh Bachchan, Actor

The 76-year-old actor further said, “Bad blood infusion went in and 75 percent of my liver is gone. But because I was able to detect it even after a period of 20 years, when 75 percent of my liver is gone. I am still surviving on 25 percent.”

Bachchan has often been involved in high profile health awareness campaigns, for instance, the polio campaign. Hepatitis B, Tuberculosis and diabetes are some of the other campaigns he’s involved with.

Speaking about the importance of an early diagnosis, Bachchan added,

“I keep saying that with immodesty, if it (TB) can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. Therefore if you are not willing to get yourself tested then you would never find out and there’s never going to be a cure for it.”

Amitabh Bachchan, Actor

Here’s hoping Bachchan’s personal example and his weight around the TB campaign would spread more awareness about the disease.