Salman Khan Reveals First Trigeminal Neuralgia Shock: ‘Lara Dutta Removed a Hair from My Face’

Mumbai: Actor Salman Khan has revealed that the stabbing pain of trigeminal neuralgia first struck while he and Lara Dutta were filming the 2007 comedy Partner. “She moved a strand of hair from my face and I felt a shock I joked, ‘Wow, Lara, you’re electrifying,’” the 59-year-old told Twinkle Khanna and Kajol on the debut episode of their Prime Video talk show Two Much, which also features Aamir Khan.

Khan called the condition “a pain you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy,” noting that for seven and a half years he endured bursts every four to five minutes. The attacks made everyday tasks agonising: “An omelette took me an hour-and-a-half to finish,” he said. Initial speculation blamed a dental issue; even 750 mg painkillers offered little relief, though “a drink or two” briefly dulled the sensation.

The actor underwent surgery for trigeminal neuralgia in 2011 and first spoke publicly about the ordeal in 2017. The disorder, often dubbed the “suicide disease,” causes sudden, electric-shock pain on one side of the face. While usually idiopathic, doctors link some cases to compressed blood vessels, aneurysms or facial tumours.

On the work front, Khan’s previous release Sikandar underperformed at the box office. He is now shooting director Apoorva Lakhia’s Battle of Galwan, a war drama revisiting the 2020 clash between Indian and Chinese troops, and will return as host of Bigg Boss 19.