When for the first time in his entire healthy and robust life Naseeruddin Shah collapsed on location in Coorg, everyone from Mumbai to Vancouver was worried.
Irrfan Khan who's shooting in Vancouver was on the phone early in the morning to ask, "Arrey yeh Naseer ko kya ho gaya? Please find out and tell me."
Discreet inquiries revealed that Naseer had indeed had a health scare in Coorg and was rushed to Bangalore to a hospital. His son Imaad sounded quite disturbed. "I'm flooded with calls since morning. I'd rather you didn't ask me about it."
However it was Naseer's wife Ratna Pathak Shah who put the matter to rest with her characteristic candour and humour.
Said Ratna on Wednesday, "It's just a minor flutter. He had a giddy spell. Shayad paon bhari hai. Tests are all clear, so nothing to report."
A day later Naseer in his characteristic acerbic style says, "The alarming reports about my health were fictitious. It was nothing serious. Just a small bout of vertigo. It was troublesome. I had to get a scan done. So I was flown from Coorg where I was shooting to Banglore."
Putting all speculation to rest Naseer says he's much better now. "Some of the reportage about my health seems more wishful than sympathetic."