Popular Malayalam actor Ranjini Menon recently shared a harrowing personal story. She revealed details about suffering a stroke that brought her close to death. The multi-talented artist, known for acting, directing, and hosting, described the terrifying experience with raw honesty.
The First Warning Signs
Ranjini Menon remembers the moment everything changed. She was sipping coffee when liquid unexpectedly trickled down the right side of her lips. Her speech began sounding strange immediately afterward. "My words felt odd, like a cassette tape being dragged," she recalls. At that moment, she did not understand what was happening to her body.
She now recognizes those were the initial symptoms of a stroke. The actor describes the memory clearly. "While drinking coffee, it suddenly spilled down my right lip. My speech turned strange immediately. I didn't realize it then, but those were the first signs of the stroke that would transform my life completely."
The Fateful Day
November 18, 2024, started as a normal day for Ranjini. She was preparing to host the 'Imperma' lecture series at TDM Hall in Ernakulam. Before leaving home with her husband Rajagopalan, she decided to have some coffee. Her son Adityan noticed something unusual and made a joking comment. "Why are you talking like that, Amma?" he asked. Ranjini ignored his remark and got into the car.
Ignoring the Danger
During the car ride, Ranjini tried conversing with her husband. The words refused to come out clearly. Rajagopal sensed something was wrong and suggested stopping at a nearby hospital. Ranjini disagreed strongly. She wanted to reach the program venue on time. The actor admits she also felt something wasn't right physically, but she chose to continue anyway.
She attempted to message her son and younger uncle, asking them to come quickly. Even typing on her phone proved difficult. Letters kept getting mixed up. By the time she reached TDM Hall, her condition had deteriorated significantly. A colleague noticed her struggling immediately. Her speech had changed dramatically. Thinking it might be low blood sugar, people gave her sugar water to drink.
"The moment I drank it, I collapsed completely," Ranjini states plainly.
ICU Reality Check
Doctors later informed her she had suffered both a major heart attack and a stroke. Medical staff rushed her to Renai Medicity hospital. Ranjini remembers believing those were her final moments. Medical tests revealed a blood clot in her brain stem. The right side of her body became weak. Her face tilted to one side. Some memories began fading away.
She spent multiple days in the Intensive Care Unit, drifting in and out of consciousness. "Even one single day in the ICU teaches you life's true value," she reflects. She yearned for simple things like sunlight and plain drinking water. Everything she previously understood about life seemed insignificant during that period.
Testing Her Memory
To check if her memory remained intact, Ranjini kept reciting Lalitha Sahasranamam and Vishnu Sahasranamam repeatedly. Doctors told her she could go home once her blood pressure dropped from 195 to 130. She wanted this desperately. She kept telling her mind it would happen. Remarkably, four hours later, her pressure reading came down to 135.
Recovery Journey
After four difficult days, medical staff moved her to a regular room. When doctors finally discharged her, Ranjini went straight to TDM Hall in a wheelchair. She later stayed for one month at Ochira Tapasya Ayurveda Hospital. During those weeks, she learned to walk again from scratch, like a small child taking first steps. Friends sat with her for hours, singing her favorite songs to aid recovery.
Life Lessons Learned
Today, Ranjini Menon says she feels overwhelming gratitude. She now bows to the universal force connecting everything. The actor stopped taking pride in multitasking constantly. She learned that running through life without self-care is fundamentally wrong. Her daughter became her closest companion through the experience. She truly understands now that health represents real wealth.
Ranjini is returning strongly to the shows she loves and to women empowerment work. When director Vipin Atley recently asked her, "Can you run, chechi?" she responded confidently. "Why the doubt? What's past is past, isn't it?" Her resilience shines through as she embraces life after her health crisis.
