Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has now revealed a chilling episode from his time behind bars. The director, who was arrested along with wife Shwetambari Bhatt in December last year, shared how he battled severe illness in jail without proper medical care, and how prayer became his only lifeline.
In a long and emotional social media post, Vikram recalled being lodged in Udaipur Central Jail during peak winter when he suddenly fell dangerously ill.
A freezing night, a burning fever
It had been three to four weeks since Vikram’s incarceration. The January cold inside the prison barrack was already harsh. But one particular night, things turned terrifying. He woke up trembling uncontrollably. His body felt like it was burning, yet he had no way to check his temperature.
Even with two blankets tightly wrapped around him, he kept shaking. The inmates sleeping beside him noticed his condition and quietly placed two more blankets over him. Four blankets later, the shivering still didn’t stop. The filmmaker swallowed a paracetamol tablet, hoping the fever would pass.
Morning didn’t bring relief. Instead, the fever intensified. He was taken to the prison hospital, but the doctor hadn’t arrived yet. What shocked him further was the absence of even a thermometer. Instead, staff checked his blood oxygen levels and casually told him everything looked fine.
Vikram remembered protesting, telling them he was visibly shivering with fever. Eventually, when the doctor came, he explained his worsening condition. The doctor wrote a note recommending that he be taken to an outside hospital. That moment, Vikram thought help was finally coming. But it didn’t.
A hospital order… but no one came
Despite the written recommendation, days passed without any movement. According to Vikram, officials kept giving reasons. First, police were occupied protecting a VIP. Then they were busy handling a tribal fair.
Meanwhile, he remained in the barrack, struggling with pain during the day and fever through the night.
He realised slowly that the hospital visit might never happen. The waiting became exhausting. With no medical intervention in sight, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
He stopped eating oil and salt. He drank as much water as possible. And then, he turned to faith. Inside the barrack, there was a large painting of the Devi. Sitting before it every day, he began praying with desperation.
He reportedly pleaded for a miracle. He thought about his children, his wife, and his 90-year-old father. The fear of dying in jail weighed heavily on him. The prayers continued day after day, becoming his only emotional support.
Prayer, fear, and a slow recovery
During this period, Vikram’s lawyer visited him. The conversation was blunt. He admitted that he felt he might die there. That fear, Vikram said, made him pray even harder.
Gradually, something changed. The fever began to subside. The pain reduced little by little. One morning, he looked at the Devi’s image and whispered a simple “thank you” for saving his life.
Ironically, around fifteen days later, policemen finally arrived to take him to the hospital. Vikram recalled laughing at the situation, joking that they were too late and might be looking at his ghost.
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He later asked an officer what would have happened if the situation had been an emergency. The reply, according to Vikram, was casual, they could have sent him with prison guards. That response left him wondering why it hadn’t been done earlier. He reflected that maybe it was a choice, or perhaps a lesson he was meant to learn.
The filmmaker’s jail experience stems from a case that made headlines last year. In December, Rajasthan Police arrested Vikram Bhatt and Shwetambari Bhatt from Mumbai. The arrest was linked to an alleged ₹30 crore cheating case involving a businessman from Udaipur.
Following their arrest, Vikram was lodged in Udaipur Central Jail. The couple later secured bail in February this year.