Roshesh suffers slipped discs

Rajesh Kumar

It's Rajesh Kumar's birthday today but there are no celebrations. The actor has been in agony for the last couple of days, suffering from a slipped disc. Moreover, his actress wife Madhvi Chopra (Saathi Re, Thodi Si Zameen, Thoda Sa Aasmaan) is away in Kolkata performing for the play Chanakyashastra.

"My parents are with me on my birthday for the first time in 14 years, but it is my luck that I am in this condition. As they live in Patna, we could never get together on my birthday for various reasons," rues Kumar.

Slow mover

Best remembered as the mama's boy Roshesh in Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai, Rajesh now features as Subodh in Baa Bahoo Aur Baby and as Jaswant in Kulvaddhu. In fact, it was on the sets of Kulvaddhu that he injured himself while performing a dance step.

"After doing all those movements, I felt a sudden jerk in my back. I thought the pain was due to those moves and that it would subside after a while. But next morning, I couldn't even sit up in bed; the pain was excruciating. The doctor advised me to get an X-Ray which proved that the space between two vertebrates had reduced and the spine was slightly bent."

Incidentally, Rajesh had suffered a slipped disc over a decade ago while playing basketball. "After all these years, the problem has crept up again," he moans. Rajesh used to play basketball for Hindu College, New Delhi. "I've played at the national level. It was during one of the matches that I was injured. At that time if I had taken the necessary precautions, the pain would have gone."

He has now been advised to go slow. "Gymming, swimming and dancing is a definite no for a while. I have told the producers of my shows about my predicament. I can't do any scene that requires me to dance or do rigorous moves."

Rajesh has resumed shooting for both his serials. "When not required for a scene, I lie down in the make-up room. I also have to take care while going up and down steps. I cause quite a traffic jam with my slow moves!"

http://www.mid-day.com/hitlist/2007/january/150450.htm