Saif Ali Khan's sister Saba Pataudi recalls being diagnosed with brain tumour: 'Had fallen on road'

Saif Ali Khan and Saba Pataudi pic via Instagram

Saif Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan's sister, Saba Pataudi, has recently recalled her brain tumour diagnosis at the age of 27. In a conversation with her sister Soha, Saba recalled how one day she suddenly fainted, and an MRI later changed everything. Saba revealed that, after checking the report, doctors initially suspected a colloid cyst, but she was diagnosed with a benign tumour after undergoing surgery around six months later.

Saba Pataudi recalls fainting suddenly at 27

Saba recalled, "It happened very suddenly. I didn't have any pre-symptoms or any conditions that I think led up to it. One day, I went out and thought the problem was with my stomach, which has always been a sensitive point for me. I thought I had eaten or drunk something that hadn't agreed with me. I suddenly fainted."

Recalling how she initially mistook her fainting episodes for blood pressure issues, Saba shared an incident when things took a different turn. She said, "I could feel myself becoming very uncomfortable, so I turned to a friend and said, ‘I don't think I'm quite okay. Maybe we should head home.' We were about to go out, but suddenly everything went blank. When I regained consciousness, I had already fallen on the road, just outside the building."

What did MRI reveal?

It took Saba nearly 20 to 25 minutes to recover from the episode before undergoing an MRI scan. What followed came as a shock to her. "It was something completely unexpected that happened to me at the age of 27, without any warning," she said.

It was not easy for the 27-year-old Saba to process that she would have to undergo brain surgery. Sharing how she was feeling at that moment, Saba said, "Your life suddenly goes numb because nothing feels normal after that. One day, you're fine, and the next day, you're told that you're going to have brain surgery. It's not something as simple as having your appendix removed. It shatters you in a way, but it also empowers you because you have to deal with it."

Saba Pataudi says brain tumour diagnosis was difficult to process

"I realised that I was very emotional. I would suddenly find myself crying without knowing why. You are trying to process news that you never expected to receive. What happened to me came with absolutely no warning," Saba added, sharing that she was scared of becoming dependent on someone. So, she asked the doctor whether there was any other alternative to surgery.

Recalling the conversation, she shared, "I asked the doctor, ‘What would you do if you had to do anything further?' He said radiation was an option. I asked him, "Why don't we just do everything while I'm here?' Amma looked at me and said, ‘What's with her?' I just wanted to finish it. I didn't want anything left behind."