When Nawazuddin Siddiqui was hospitalised last week, speculation immediately suggested the actor was down with dengue. While doctors initially treated Nawaz for viral fever and throat infection, the worst suspicions now seem to be coming true. Neither Nawaz nor his brother Shamas, who works with the actor as his associate and also handles his publicity, were available for comment. But a source at the suburban Mumbai hospital said the actor has tested positive for the mosquito-borne disease. He was taken to the hospital after he had complained of feeling unwell on Wednesday, following which the requisite tests were conducted on the actor. 

Doctors were confident that Nawaz was not down with either dengue and malaria. However, matters turned serious over the weekend, with the actor’s fever showing no sign of abating. Fresh tests detected the virus-borne disease. Sources close to Nawaz revealed that a timely visit to the doctor has helped the actor avert a dangerous situation. Nawaz is currently one of Bollywood’s busiest character artistes, with a slew of films in his kitty. His upcoming roster includes Raees starring Shah Rukh Khan, Farzi starring Arjun Kapoor and Kriti Sanon, Haraamkhor opposite Masaan debutante Shweta Tripathi, Shoebite with Amitabh Bachchan, and Anurag Kashyap’s Raman Raghav.