By the time the evening traffic thickened around Bandra, you could feel it in the air. Not panic exactly. Not calm either. Just that strange in-between feeling when people are waiting for one sentence to decide how they’re going to breathe next.
All Wednesday, phones buzzed with half information about Salim Khan. One forward said surgery. Another said critically. Someone claimed “serious brain issue.” It was the usual spiral. And the more the rumors grew, the more uneasy people became.
Then the doctors stepped out and did what needed to be done. They spoke plainly.
Salim Khan is stable.
Let’s slow that down. Stable. In the ICU, yes. But stable.
On Tuesday morning, he had a sudden rise in blood pressure. Not a gradual climb. A sharp spike. That sudden jump triggered seizures. When doctors ran the necessary scans, they found a small amount of bleeding on the right side of his brain. They described it as “minimal.” That word is important. It means the bleed is limited. It’s not widespread. It’s not the kind that causes immediate irreversible damage. It is serious, but manageable.
Given that he is 90 years old, doctors did not take any chances.
On Wednesday morning, February 18, a procedure called Digital Subtraction Angiography, or DSA, was performed by neurosurgeon Dr. Nitin Dange. Now, this is where people got confused. The name sounds dramatic. It sounds like surgery. It isn’t.
Think of it like a highly detailed scan that maps the blood vessels in the brain. Doctors use it to understand exactly where the problem is and how to handle it. It helps them see clearly. And clarity in medical situations is everything.
Dr. Jalil Parkar made one thing very clear during the briefing: there was no surgery. No invasive operation. No cutting open. The DSA was done to assess and manage the hemorrhage. At this stage, surgery is not required.
That single clarification brought a visible shift in tone.
Another word that scared people was “ventilator.”
Yes, he has been on ventilator support. But here is what that actually means in this case. After seizures and a brain event, doctors sometimes use a ventilator to stabilize breathing and give the body controlled support while tests are conducted. It is often precautionary. It does not automatically mean the patient is in a life-threatening state.
The hospital has emphasized that this ventilator support is a safeguard. If his vitals remain steady, doctors expect to remove the ventilator by Thursday morning, February 19. That is not the language of panic. That is the language of cautious confidence.
Inside the hospital, the day has been long.
Salman Khan reportedly put his shooting commitments aside. When your father is in the ICU, nothing else matters. Arbaaz Khan, Sohail Khan, Alvira Khan Agnihotri, and Arpita Khan Sharma have all been present. They arrived quietly, stayed quietly. No statements. No theatrics.
In moments like this, celebrity disappears. You are not a superstar. You are not a public figure. You are just a son waiting outside a doctor’s cabin. A daughter pacing a corridor. A family hoping the next update stays positive.
Long-time friend and collaborator Javed Akhtar came to visit. Actor Sanjay Dutt stopped by as well. These visits were not loud. They were simple. A handshake. A few words. A presence that says, “I’m here.”
Doctors have said that Salim Khan was fully conscious when he was admitted. That detail matters. They also mentioned he is “doing quite well” considering his age and the situation. But they have been realistic too. At 90, the body does not bounce back overnight. Recovery will be gradual. The next few days are about monitoring, patience, and careful observation.
No rushing.
What stood out most from the medical briefing was the tone. Calm. Measured. No hidden alarm. No dramatic warnings between the lines.
And that changed the mood outside.
Earlier in the day, the atmosphere felt tense. By evening, it felt steadier. Not celebratory. Just steadier.
Salim Khan is not just another patient in a hospital room. For many Indians, he represents a chapter of cinema that shaped childhood memories, family movie nights, iconic dialogues that still get quoted casually in everyday conversations. Hearing that he was unwell hit people emotionally.
But the update tonight is clear. Minimal hemorrhage. No surgery. Ventilator as a precaution. Stable condition. Doctors expect improvement if vitals remain steady.
That is where things stand.
The next 24 to 48 hours will be important, especially given his age. But for now, there is no emergency unfolding. There is no dramatic twist. There is simply a 90-year-old man under careful medical supervision, surrounded by family, being treated by experienced doctors.
Sometimes the biggest relief comes from ordinary words.
Stable.
And tonight, that word carries weight.
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Zayn blends critical thinking with genuine fandom. Whether it’s decoding OTT series arcs or rating the latest Bollywood blockbuster, he writes with clarity, pop fluency, and a dash of irreverence.
