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MUMBAI: TV and film actor Abir Goswami (38) passed away on Friday afternoon after suffering a massive heart attack while on a treadmill in his gym. He was rushed to a nearby hospital around 1.50pm where he was declared dead on arrival.
Abir, who starred in the serial Pyaar Ka Dard Hai, currently on air, had acted in several films, including Anurag Kashyap's to-be-released Ugly. The actor reportedly had rheumatic heart disease, but the gym where he was a member for three years said he didn't mention anything. ActorSandeep Rajora, a member at the same gym who took him to the hospital minutes away, too didn't know of Abir's heart problem. "His wife told us of his heart problem after he passed away," he said. Sonia Singh, a friend of the actor and his family, said, "Sandeep called me from the gym to say Abir had fainted and was having problems breathing, so he wanted to get in touch with a family member. I calledAbir's wife Koel who told me he had been having breathing issues for a while and said she was rushing to the gym. Abir had a rheumatic heart and was also a smoker." The actor was married a year ago.
A staff member at the gym said, "He did not mention anything about his health condition in his membership form. He had a trainer in the first year, thereafter he worked out on his own. He said he only wanted to tone up his body." Dr Aashish Contractor, preventive cardiologist from Asian Heart Institute, Bandra Kurla Complex, said, "Many people hide their health problems from their gyms because they don't want to be told 'no'. But cases such as this underline the fact that if you know you have a heart disease, make sure you get your cardiologist to clear your set of exercises."
Doctors advised against taking up rigorous exercising without proper medical tests and advice. "A normal person who exerts himself can also collapse suddenly," said cardiologist Dr Brian Pinto, who consults at Nanavati and Holy Family Hospitals. However, doctors said a person who has a known heart condition should be extra cautious. Medically speaking, patients with rheumatic heart diseases have to assessed carefully to establish the extent of problems to their heart. If the problem is negligible, the person can lead a normal life. "But if he or she has big a lesion then the person should be careful," said a doctor with a government hospital. Dr Pinto added, "A person with rheumatic heart disease may be at a higher risk than others, hence medical advice is important."
Friends of the actor found the incident difficult to believe. Filmmaker JD Majithia said, "This has scared and shocked all of us. We all want to correct ourselves, but you never know, he was such a fit person.'' Actor Rakshanda Khan too insisted Abir was "a fit person". Friends and colleagues like Anurag Kashyap and Ronit Roy rushed to the hospital on hearing of his death.
Sandeep said, "Abir was not even sweating when he collapsed. But some people at the gym said he had complained of backache a day earlier.''
However, Sandeep claimed the hospital staff were indifferent and non-cooperative. "As soon as I placed Abir on the hospital bed the doctor checked his pulse and said he was no more. I told him to at least try CPR,'' he said. Friends claimed CPR was done a good 40 minutes after Abir was taken to the hospital. "They gave us trouble even when releasing the body. I had to call up the police," said Sonia, adding, "The doctor told me to take him away saying there was an ambulance downstairs. When I asked for a death certificate or a post mortem, the doctor replied, 'He was brought dead, what more you want to know?'."
Abir, who starred in the serial Pyaar Ka Dard Hai, currently on air, had acted in several films, including Anurag Kashyap's to-be-released Ugly. The actor reportedly had rheumatic heart disease, but the gym where he was a member for three years said he didn't mention anything. ActorSandeep Rajora, a member at the same gym who took him to the hospital minutes away, too didn't know of Abir's heart problem. "His wife told us of his heart problem after he passed away," he said. Sonia Singh, a friend of the actor and his family, said, "Sandeep called me from the gym to say Abir had fainted and was having problems breathing, so he wanted to get in touch with a family member. I calledAbir's wife Koel who told me he had been having breathing issues for a while and said she was rushing to the gym. Abir had a rheumatic heart and was also a smoker." The actor was married a year ago.
A staff member at the gym said, "He did not mention anything about his health condition in his membership form. He had a trainer in the first year, thereafter he worked out on his own. He said he only wanted to tone up his body." Dr Aashish Contractor, preventive cardiologist from Asian Heart Institute, Bandra Kurla Complex, said, "Many people hide their health problems from their gyms because they don't want to be told 'no'. But cases such as this underline the fact that if you know you have a heart disease, make sure you get your cardiologist to clear your set of exercises."
Doctors advised against taking up rigorous exercising without proper medical tests and advice. "A normal person who exerts himself can also collapse suddenly," said cardiologist Dr Brian Pinto, who consults at Nanavati and Holy Family Hospitals. However, doctors said a person who has a known heart condition should be extra cautious. Medically speaking, patients with rheumatic heart diseases have to assessed carefully to establish the extent of problems to their heart. If the problem is negligible, the person can lead a normal life. "But if he or she has big a lesion then the person should be careful," said a doctor with a government hospital. Dr Pinto added, "A person with rheumatic heart disease may be at a higher risk than others, hence medical advice is important."
Friends of the actor found the incident difficult to believe. Filmmaker JD Majithia said, "This has scared and shocked all of us. We all want to correct ourselves, but you never know, he was such a fit person.'' Actor Rakshanda Khan too insisted Abir was "a fit person". Friends and colleagues like Anurag Kashyap and Ronit Roy rushed to the hospital on hearing of his death.
Sandeep said, "Abir was not even sweating when he collapsed. But some people at the gym said he had complained of backache a day earlier.''
However, Sandeep claimed the hospital staff were indifferent and non-cooperative. "As soon as I placed Abir on the hospital bed the doctor checked his pulse and said he was no more. I told him to at least try CPR,'' he said. Friends claimed CPR was done a good 40 minutes after Abir was taken to the hospital. "They gave us trouble even when releasing the body. I had to call up the police," said Sonia, adding, "The doctor told me to take him away saying there was an ambulance downstairs. When I asked for a death certificate or a post mortem, the doctor replied, 'He was brought dead, what more you want to know?'."
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