{
  "id": 16717228,
  "title": "The man who almost killed Amitabh Bachchan: Puneet Issar says Coolie mishap ruined career",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/the-man-who-almost-killed-amitabh-bachchan-puneet-issar-says-coolie",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-27T06:30:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/man-almost-killed-amitabh-bachchan-puneet-issar-coolie-accident-destroyed-career-10938281/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Puneet Issar, known for his role as Duryodhan in Mahabharata, credits a near-fatal accident with Amitabh Bachchan in 1982 for his career resurgence. While filming Coolie, Puneet mistimed a punch during a fight scene, causing severe injury to Amitabh, who was later declared clinically dead. The incident led to a six-year period where Puneet struggled to find work, but he emerged stronger and eventually landed the iconic role in Mahabharata. Despite the intense trauma, Puneet maintains that the accident was a necessary part of his journey, reinforcing his belief that \"whatever happens, happens for the good.\"",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Puneet Issar's near-fatal accident with Amitabh Bachchan in 1982",
    "Coolie mishap caused severe injury, declared Amitabh clinically dead",
    "Six-year career hiatus followed, leading to Mahabharata role"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The actor's perspective reframes a career-stalling professional mistake as a transformative catalyst that ultimately paved the way for his most iconic television role.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}