Filmmaker Tahira Kashyap has revealed she was admitted to the ICU for two days a while ago after suffering from Bottle Gourd Toxicity. Tahira shared a video on Instagram to explain the lesser-known condition, which is caused when a person drinks bitter bottle gourd juice.The writer-director shared that she had almost “17 bouts of vomit while her blood pressure dropped to 40” after she had the bitter bottle gourd juice. “I used to have a concoction of Haldi, Doodhi and Amla. That day it tasted bitter and I still had it. It was stupid of me. If the juice tastes bitter, don’t have it. Please don’t commit the same mistake. The doctor told me it’s like almost having Cyanide. I had about 17 bouts of vomit and my blood pressure dropped to 40.”
Tahira, however, added that she was doing alright now. She recorded the video from the sets of her upcoming film, her debut feature Sharmaji Ki Beti, starring Divya Dutta, Sakshi Tanwar and Saiyami Kher. The film, described as the slice-of-life dramedy about experiences of modern Indian women, is being backed by Applause Entertainment and Ellipsis Entertainment. Tahira Kashyap has previously directed short films like Toffee, a segment of Feels Like Ishq, and Pinni. “I might be sounding all sorted and cool in this video that I made from my set, but I was in deep sh#%! Sharing deets as doctors also asked me to spread the awareness around too. I have picked my phone on all those who I know have it. The #greenjuice Bottle gourd toxicity has dire consequences, and dire is an understatement. Please read in between the lines. It’s lethal. In the name of health just don’t keep popping juices! There was a reason why I was in the ICU for the same, don’t want to divulge more gory details, but pls spread the word around,” she urged. For the uninitiated, bottle gourd toxicity is what happens when you drink/ingest bitter bottle gourd juice. One may suffer from vomiting, diarrhea, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, hypotension, and other fatal reaction from drinking bitter bottle gourd juice.