Fatima Sana Sheikh denied the diagnosis of epilepsy: she did not take medications

Actress Fatima Sana Shaikh, who became popular with the 2016 film Dangal, was diagnosed with epilepsy during the film’s shooting. The 32-year-old actress spoke about her fear of people in a recent interview as she believed the neurological disorder carries “a lot of stigma” in society.

“I was diagnosis of epilepsy during the filming of Dangal,” Fatima told Filmfare. “At first I was in denial and didn’t want to admit that I had a neurological disorder, so I didn’t take any medication.” She was afraid that she might have a seizure in front of people.

“Epilepsy carries a lot of stigma. People think you’re either on drugs, attention-seeking or obsessive and should be avoided,” the actor added.

She also avoided medications at first, thinking she could lead a normal life without them. “Because I wasn’t on medication, I had more seizures. I didn’t want to take medication; I struggled not only with people, but also with the medicine itself. I thought I didn’t need them to live a normal life,” she said.

Fatima, who later starred in films like Ludo, Thugs of Hindostan and Dhak Dhak, used to have seizures once or twice a week, which made her anxious about events.

“Flashing lights are a known trigger for epilepsy, although they do not always cause a seizure. But I was so afraid that I stopped attending events and film screenings,” said Fatima Sana Sheikh.

However, she eventually informed the paparazzi about her condition. “They were incredibly attentive. They were careful not to use flash when I was around. Sometimes my colleagues didn’t understand, but the paparazzi did,” the actor shared.

Now, several years after her diagnosis, Fatima has come to terms with her health condition and is not afraid to tell people about it. She deals with it without any shame: “There are days when I just can’t shoot. Sometimes shoots get canceled because of my episodes, and there are days when my migraines are so bad that I can’t work.”

The actor spoke for the first time about her health condition in 2022 during an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session with his fans on social media.

“I was diagnosed when I was training under Dangal. I had a seizure and woke up right in the hospital. Tab pata chala ki epilepsy naam ki koi cheese hoti hai (Then I learned about a disease called epilepsy). At first he denied (for five years). And now I have learned to accept it, work and live around it,” she wrote on Instagram.

Fatima Sana Shaikh was last seen opposite Vicky Kaushal in Sam Bahadur and Fatima Sana Shaikh will next be seen in Anurag Basu’s Metro… Dino.