Screenwriter Salim Khan stable but under close observation, doctor says

Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan, credited for writing celebrated Hindi films such as Sholay, Deewar and Don with Javed Akhtar, is stable and under close observation after he was admitted to the ICU of Lilavati hospital in Bandra on Tuesday.

In a statement to PTI, Dr Jalil Parker, who is treating the 90-year-old veteran, said Khan was admitted in the ICU early morning at 8.30 am.

"He is stable but is under close observation in regards to his clinical status," Parker said in the statement.

The family has not released an official statement regarding the reason for his visit.

"He (Khan) was brought into the emergency by their family doctor Dr Sandeep Chopra. Emergency care was initiated in the emergency and Mr Salim Khan was shifted to the intensive care on the 1st floor. A team of doctors consisting of Dr Vinay Chavan (neurologist), Dr Ajit Menon(cardiologist) & Dr Nitin Dange (neurosurgeon) and Dr Bineet Ahluwalia attended on him." Parker said the doctors will hold a press bulletin on Wednesday at 11am with "due consent of the relatives & maintaining the confidentiality of the patient to the utmost".

Salim’s son, Salman Khan, was the first to arrive at the hospital to be by his side. However, he left the medical facility soon. Visuals of Salman exiting under a tight security detail are doing the rounds on social media.

Salman walked straight to his vehicle, maintaining silence on his father’s health despite the many questions from the media gathered outside the hospital.

Moments later, Salim's daughter, Alvira Khan Agnihotri and son-in-law and actor Aayush Sharma were also spotted arriving at the hospital to visit Salim Khan.

While the family has chosen to keep details private for now, the quiet surrounding Salim Khan’s condition has naturally left fans feeling anxious. Fans across the world are sending prayers and hoping for a quick recovery for the legendary writer as he remains under close medical supervision at the hospital.

Khan, a household name in the 70s and 80S, turned 90 on November 24 last year. It was the day Dharmendra, the star of many of his films, including Sholay, Seeta aur Geeta and Yaadon Ki Baraat, passed away.

Hailing from an affluent family in Indore, Khan arrived in Mumbai in his 20s with dreams of stardom. He was good looking and confident he would make a mark in the industry as an actor. But that did not happen. And then, after struggling for close to a decade and getting confined to small roles in films, he changed lanes.

He worked as an assistant to Abrar Alvi and soon met Akhtar to form one of the most Hindi cinema's most formidable writing partnerships. They worked together on two dozen movies with most of them achieving the blockbuster status.

Other than Sholay, Deewar and Don, Khan and Akhtar also penned Trishul, Zanjeer, Seeta Aur Geeta, Haathi Mere Saathi, Yaadon Ki Baarat and Mr India.