Shekhar Suman has opened up about one of the most painful chapters of his life, recalling how his son Aayush’s terminal illness coincided with a period of professional uncertainty. The actor and television presenter revealed that he was struggling to find work when his eldest son was diagnosed with a serious illness. With mounting financial concerns and his child’s health deteriorating, Shekhar eventually agreed to work in television, despite initially being reluctant to take up serials.In a conversation with The Lallantop, Shekhar recalled the devastating news and the circumstances that forced him to reconsider his career choices.“I discovered my son was terminally ill. Firstly, I had no work at that time. On top of that, we received such tragic news. I was completely ruined and destroyed. I thought I had nothing left in life. I wasn’t earning that much to look after him. I didn’t want to take money from home either. Those were very trying times,” he recalled.The actor said he had been hoping for film offers, but the calls he received were largely for television projects. His eventual entry into the medium came through ‘Dekh Bhai Dekh’, the popular sitcom directed by Anand Mahendroo and produced by Jaya Bachchan.“Even then, I didn’t want to do television. Whenever my phone rang and I picked it up hoping it would be a movie offer, it mostly turned out to be series (soap opera) offers. One day, I got a call from director Anand Mahendroo saying he was making a serial titled Dekh Bhai Dekh. When I told him I wasn’t interested in doing serials, he asked me to consider it first and informed me that Jaya Bachchan was producing it and that many big people were behind it.”Shekhar eventually accepted the offer, taking on a role in the show that became an important part of his television career. However, behind the scenes, he was dealing with the uncertainty of his son’s worsening condition while attempting to carry on with his professional commitments.Recalling how difficult it was to work during that period, he said, “I still don’t know how I did it all (continued working). They kept a telephone on set because I needed it so that my family could keep me updated. Whenever the phone rang, I picked it up with a pounding heart, hoping it wasn’t bad news. After attending the call, I had to go back and do the show, which was a light-hearted comedy. It was difficult,” he shared.The actor also shared an emotional account of Aayush’s final days, remembering the child’s words and actions as his health continued to decline. Shekhar recalled that his son, who was just 11, had begun reciting Sanskrit shlokas shortly before his death.“Before his death, he had started reciting Sanskrit shlokas. He was 11. I don’t know how he did it. He said he saw a golden light coming, held my hand and told me, ‘Papa, I don’t want to go. Please save me.’ Then he started reciting some Sanskrit shlokas, and we were flustered. He then told each one of us who were with him at that time, including our driver, that he loved us. He was like an angel; he was a beautiful child.”The loss, Shekhar said, continues to affect the family decades later. Remembering the grief of losing a child, he reflected on how Aayush remains a part of their everyday conversations.“I still don’t know how that tragedy happened to us. But I guess that’s destiny. There’s no bigger tragedy that can befall parents than losing their children. Even now, we dedicate 2-3 hours just thinking and talking about him, every day. It’s a wound that will never heal,” he said.Shekhar admitted that Aayush’s death changed his outlook on life, leaving him with little interest in professional success or material achievements. Nevertheless, he continued working because he had responsibilities towards the rest of his family.“Once he was gone, what use were money or fame to me? But I continued working because I had to take care of my remaining family.”He also recalled the heartbreaking dilemma the family faced as Aayush’s condition worsened. His wife, Alka Suman, had reached a point where she could no longer bear to see their son suffer and pleaded with the doctors to let him go.“His condition worsened so much that at one point, my wife begged the doctors to let him go. I told her, ‘What are you saying? We will fight till the end.’ But she said, ‘This is the end. Let him go; he is suffering a lot.’ She was the ‘savvy mother who begged for her son’s death.’ She was right, we couldn’t bear seeing him suffer like that,” he added.
