Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen on 'staying conscious' during cardiac procedure after heart attack

In a deeply personal and revealing conversation on The Divya Jain Podcast, former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen opened up about the terrifying heart attack she suffered while filming the third season of her hit Amazon Prime series Aarya. Gulf News reports on the key revelations from the podcast episode, where Sen described the harrowing experience of suffering a massive cardiac event on set and the extraordinary decision she made to remain fully conscious during her subsequent angioplasty procedure. Sen explained that she chose not to be sedated because she fundamentally dislikes losing consciousness, and this decision — which stunned her medical team — ultimately played a role in her survival. By staying awake during the stent operation, she could communicate with her cardiologists, monitor her own body's responses, and maintain an active role in her medical care at a moment when her life hung in the balance. The actress shared that the heart attack struck without warning during an intense period of filming, forcing her to confront her mortality in the most visceral way possible. She described moments where she believed her story was over — that she would not survive to see her daughters grow up or continue her career. Sen's openness about the experience on Divya Jain's podcast broke important taboos around discussing health vulnerabilities, particularly cardiac health in women. The interview revealed her remarkable resilience: not only did she survive the heart attack, but she returned to complete filming of Aarya Season 3, channelling the raw emotion of her near-death experience into her performance.