Showing posts with label Remo Dsouza heart attack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Remo Dsouza heart attack. Show all posts
My next project is my dream film and should start by next year-Remo Dsouza
8:15 AM
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 2, 2021)
Four months ago, Remo Dsouza had a heart attack and underwent angioplasty. Having recuperated and even back to the gym, these days, the director-choreographer is “feeling much better”. “It was scary. It still feels like a frightful dream, which came true. What I learnt is you can’t predict life. One never knows what will happen tomorrow. I say, just be happy and be positive in life. Mere liye yeh health scare ek big lesson, bada jhataka tha jo tal gaya, thank God!” he shares.
Dsouza enjoys keeping a low-profile and his birthdays, too, are the same. “I am always low key, but these days, due to Coronavirus, there’s no other option. My wife and kids get excited and plan surprises for me, which is really sweet. Last year, it was lockdown, so we baked a cake at home and this year, at least we can order one! Even celebrations are just family and really close friends. Moreover, with the virus scare and keeping my health in mind, I am not meeting many people this time,” reveals Dsouza who turns 46 today.
He recalls how his wife, Lizelle gave him a surprise and planned a trip to Singapore. “I didn’t know what was the plan and it was a pleasant surprise. Not just family, some close friends too flew down to make the day special,” he exclaims.
Having started his career as a choreographer, it was with the reality show, Dance India Dance, that Dsouza became a household name. He moved on to direction with F.A.L.T.U (2011) and since then has directed many films including, ABCD: Any Body Can Dance (2013), ABCD 2 (2015) and Street Dancer 3D (2020).
Talking about the way his career panned out, he says, “I am happy with the way my life has turned out. It is going well and I think I have done well. I have a lot more to achieve but whatever I have achieved is all thanks to God and my parents’ blessings. I wanted to direct Salman Khan and I did that in Race 3 (2018). I won the National Award for Choreography for the song, Deewani Mastani (Bajirao Mastani; 2015). I wanted to buy a big house for my family and I did. Now, I have a lot of plans and I am working on a big project. It’s my dream film and should start by next year.”
Neither my doctors, nor I, precisely know why I suffered a heart attack-Remo DSouza
8:23 AM
His eyes set on returning to his original fitness routine following a heart attack, Remo D’Souza on taking small steps towards recovery over the past few months
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; April 1, 2021)
Concerned fans of celebrities often turn to Google to seek answers on what ails them, or about their road to recovery. But, last December, an unusual inquiry hit the website’s chart of frequently asked questions. ‘Why did Remo D’Souza have a heart attack?’
“Neither my doctors, nor I, precisely know,” D’Souza addresses what is only a fitting concern. At the age of 46, the filmmaker has been flaunting a body that could egg even the young lot of actors to pull up their socks. Backed by a lifestyle devoid of aerated drinks, and cigarettes, D’Souza could well be the poster boy of good health. “When I was diagnosed, it was 100 per cent [blockage]. That obviously couldn’t have happened overnight. I kept telling my doctors that there should have been some signs; a sense of exhaustion, perhaps? There was none; it was sudden. So, they are still figuring it out,” he says, adding that, determined to pin it to a cause, they have, “for now”, assigned it to his genetic makeup. Although his father passed away owing to other ailments, D’Souza admits he too had an attack.
The filmmaker packs in 90-minutes of training today, a routine that is “not as aggressive as it used to be”. He kicks off his day with an hour-long dose of cardiovascular work, involving fast-paced walking on the treadmill, skipping, or cycling, and follows it up with another 30-minute bout of walking in the evening. “I haven’t got the nod to lift heavy weights yet, and am not allowed to run either. Although, I did so before the attack, when kick-boxing, and running comprised a major chunk of my regimen. I would also lift heavy weights. It is a misconception that dancers should not do so. What is crucial is practicing flexibility work, and taking to a good warm-up routine. If you do that, lifting heavy weights is fine.”
D’Souza was introduced to a gamut of sports in childhood, while growing up around the Air Force mess, where his father served as chef. “Fitness has been part of my life since I gained consciousness. Our school focused immensely on fitness-related activities, and sports like swimming. Before being introduced to dance, I learnt karate and other forms of MMA. Dance came my way later, and I took to it. But, when I turned to direction later, I again restored to a proper fitness routine to stay active.”
While his attack has now brought a sense of order to his eating habits, ridding his diet of foods that are oily or salty, D’Souza says his hectic schedule implied he did not always have an appreciable pattern. “When I got busy, I could go for two days without eating. Then, I would eat a lot. I stopped doing that since I began taking care of my body. However, I have a sweet-tooth, and that is my biggest enemy.”
Appointing a fitness coach and nutritionist has enabled him to be accountable. “While I would initially train on my own, I keep a trainer owing to my schedule. I have someone remind me of my [meals], and having someone wait for you at the gym, motivates you to head there,” says D’Souza, who now works out at his home gym, a lavish space that houses equipment from the best brands.
When D’Souza bought his pad in the city as a bachelor, he converted the 100 sq-foot additional space outside his 300 sq-foot kholi into a gym with one machine that facilitated a variety of workouts. “Ever since, I have wanted to add weights in the space so that I could train without worrying about going to the gym. There are a lot of directors who are not as active as I am, and I am fortunate enough to have [skills] like filmmaking and choreography associated with my career. I make it a point to stay active. I can’t sit for too long, even if I am at my office. One must stand more, and walk often, and I keep doing that.”
Everyone was shocked that I suffered a heart attack-Remo Dsouza
8:18 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; December 30, 2020)
So, when everyone got to know about his heart attack, they initially couldn’t believe it. “Yes, everyone was shocked. Frankly, I am shocked myself! Though, I am happy that I am doing better now, and the doctors have checked on me and said that my heart is getting back to normal,” says Remo while talking to Bombay Times.
Recalling the day that it all happened, Remo says, “It was just a regular day. I had my breakfast and went to the gym. Lizelle (wife) and I share the same trainer, who was already training her. So, I was waiting for my turn, and in the meanwhile, I did some brisk walking on the treadmill and stretching on the foam roller. Then, I was just sitting idle, waiting for my turn. As soon as Lizelle finished, I got up, but I started feeling pain at the center of my chest. Since it wasn’t in my left arm, I thought it was because of acidity. So, I drank water. But the pain was still there, so I told my trainer that we should cancel the training for the day. When Lizelle and I took the elevator to go up, I pressed the lift button and sat down. Once I stepped out of the lift I started coughing and I even wanted to throw up. Lizelle saw my smart watch, which checks on the heartbeat and ECG and the screen prompted ‘Are you not well?’ This pain was something that I had never experienced in my life. On reaching the hospital, we were told by the doctors that it’s a major heart attack.”
Remo says that the entire period was the scariest time of his life. “I am told that my right artery had a 100 per cent blockage. Usually, a normal human heart works at 55 per cent and when I was taken to the hospital, it was working only 25 per cent. Yeh mere saath kaise ho gaya? I keep a check on my body from time to time. It is probably hereditary, preworkout session or work stress. They are trying to figure it out and I am dying to know. A lot of people think I take steroids, which is not true at all. I believe in having a natural body,” he shares.
Talking about his diet and restrictions, the ace choreographer who is currently resting in his Goregaon home, explains, “Food is now restricted. For a month, I have to follow the no oil, no salt, no sweets diet.”
“Once my heart, which is at 40 per cent now, reaches 50 per cent, life will be back to normal. Until then, at least for two months… no working out, no driving, no work and only rest,” says Remo, who’s overwhelmed with the love people showered upon him through social media.
He adds, “I think I just got saved because of the many prayers and the blessings that came in. I have realised we have only one life to live. When I was at the hospital and I closed my eyes, I thought that if I go, I will be remembered for a few days and then people will start forgetting me. So, this one life is the most precious gift. You need to think how you want to spend it. I also feel one should just love everyone, there’s no need for hatred. The most important thing is your family. I call my wife my Santa Claus. She stood by me. Likewise, my friends, they took good care of me.
As he thanked his near and dear ones, Remo also made a special mention about Salman Khan. The former directed the latter in Race 3. “We call him an angel as he has a heart of gold. I have worked with him and I know the kind of a gem that he is. Salman and I don’t talk much, like, I only say ‘yes, sir, okay sir’. Actually, my wife and Salman are very close. As soon as I was rushed to the hospital, Lizelle called him. And through the six days that I was in the hospital, he saw to it that I was taken good care of. He was also personally talking to the doctors,” says Remo who plans to steadily get back into action. “Come New Year, I will start working on my project. During the lockdown I was working on a script. It’s a project that I am excited about, but cannot talk about right now. We should go on floors by April 2021,” he signs off.
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