India tennis ace Leander Paes was shocked when his phone rang a few nights ago informing him of the death of one of the junior artistes from his film Rajdhani Express.
Earlier in the day, the artiste, an elderly man playing a supporting role in Leander's debut Bollywood flick suffered a heart attack in the afternoon.
Paes, who was also on the sets, immediately requested the director to cancel the day's shoot and rushed the man to a nearby hospital.
A unit source who accompanied Paes reveals what happened thereafter, "When we reached the hospital, the man looked to be getting better.
He even replied to Leander asking him if he needed anything saying 'Paani chahiye.'
The doctors informed Leander that they would be immediately giving him an emergency booster and then one later in the evening.
They also said that angioplasty would need to be performed on the patient. Thereafter, we left.
However, when Leander's phone rang way past midnight informing him that the man had passed away, he was shocked."
India's 12-time Grand Slam winner even made it a point to visit the cremation grounds early the next morning. "Leander does not know the roads in the suburbs too well.
So when he was told that the cremation was near MindSpace in Malad, he was clueless. But he still managed to find his way there the next morning.
I think it just goes to show what a good-natured man he is, " adds the source.
Leander, when contacted, did not elaborate on the incident. "Whatever happened is very, very sad, " is all he had to say.