How A Medically Induced Coma Led To Love Marriage And The Oscar
GordonEmily V. Gordon
In the film  which is set in Chicago  as he and  Emily  begin seeing each other and falling in love  Kumail's parents still expect that he will enter into a traditional arranged marriage. Rather than hurt his parents and risk being cut off from his family  he keeps his relationship with  Emily  a secret. Meanwhile   Emily  is diagnosed with a life-threatening infection that requires  her  to be put in a medically induced coma.  Emily 's parents and Kumail spend time together at the hospital sizing each other up as they worry about  Emily . The coma may sound like a fictional contrivance  but it really happened. Let's start with an early scene from "The Big Sick" in which Kumail and Emily first meet. He's just done a set at a small comedy club. He walks to the bar where he sees the woman who yelled out a woo-hoo during his set.
KAZAN: (As  Emily ) I didn't heckle you. I just woo-hooed (ph) you. It's supportive.
KAZAN: (As  Emily)  So if I yelled out  like  you're amazing in bed  that'd be a heckle?
NANJIANI: Yeah  they had to take pressure off of  Emily 's body. So they would put some of the vital functions on machines so that  her  body wasn't taxed. I remember when I got to the hospital   Emily  was in the E.R. And I went in  and I was talking to  her . And the nurse came in. And the nurse - first thing  she  said to -  she  was holding reports and  she  said to me - or to  Emily   she  said  oh  you're a very sick girl.
And I was like  what does that mean?  She  doesn't really look that sick.
GROSS: Kumail  did you talk to  her  while  she  was in coma?
GROSS: So you know  I've always wanted to ask this to someone.  Emily   what's it like when you come out of coma? Like what - what's the first feeling that you have?
NANJIANI: I think that might be an appropriate term.  Emily  mentioned that people were coming in to say hi to  her . That was because  Emily  was by far the youngest person in the ICU at that time. So all the family members of all the other patients were very aware of  Emily . So they were all kind of rooting for  her . And so they were very excited. They were very excited when  she  was up because they just wanted  her  to get out of the ICU.
GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. And if you're just joining us  my guests are Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. They're married  and they co-wrote the new romantic comedy "The Big Sick" that's based in part on their relationship. And one of the parts of the movie that is true is that after they started seeing each other   Emily  had to be put in a medically induced coma because  she  had such a raging infection that they had to do that.
And I actually recently found one of my mom's emails to me. And it was during the period that  Emily  and I were dating. And reading the email chain was kind of devastating because I saw how I was clearly leading them on and letting them think that I was going to do it. Honestly  at the time  I couldn't imagine a world where I did have an arranged marriage. And I couldn't imagine a world where I didn't have an arranged marriage.
GROSS: Kumail  how did you tell your parents about  Emily ?
NANJIANI: So I did while  she  was really sick. It had been - I forget  you know  what day it was or when it was. And I sort of remember where I was. My mom - my parents had been calling me just sort of to say hi to me all week. And I hadn't been answering the phone. And then one day when - you know  because being in the hospital was a rollercoaster.
NANJIANI: In the moment  her reaction was is she - what's wrong with her? Is she going to be OK? Are you OK? And then she sort of checked up on  Emily  every day  called me every day. And then as soon as  Emily  was out of the coma  that's when she got really angry. She was like  how could you do this to me? But while  Emily  was sick   she  just wanted to make sure  Emily  was OK. And then  she  got angry later.
GROSS:  Emily   was it an issue in your family that you were marrying a Pakistani man  you know  an immigrant who was Muslim? I don't know what religion you are if any at all. But was that an issue?
GROSS: Kumail Nanjiani and  Emily V. Gordon  speaking to Terry Gross last year. He's the star and they're the co-writers of the movie "The Big Sick " which is nominated for an Oscar as best original screenplay. We'll hear more of their conversation in the second half of the show. And we'll also remember Wesla Whitfield  the cabaret singer who died recently at age 70. I'm David Bianculli  and this is FRESH AIR.
BIANCULLI: This is FRESH AIR. I'm David Bianculli  in for Terry Gross  back with more of Terry's 2017 interview with Kumail Nanjiani and  Emily V. Gordon . They're the co-writers of the movie "The Big Sick " which is nominated for an Oscar as best original screenplay. He also stars in the film  which is based on their real-life relationship and how they first met and became a couple. Kumail grew up in Pakistan  came to U.S. to attend college and stayed. When he and  Emily  were falling love  he knew his parents wanted him to have an arranged marriage with a woman who was Muslim and Pakistani.
In the film  which is set in Chicago  as he and  Emily  begin seeing each other and falling in love  Kumail's parents still expect that he will enter into a traditional arranged marriage. Rather than hurt his parents and risk being cut off from his family  he keeps his relationship with  Emily  a secret. Meanwhile   Emily  is diagnosed with a life-threatening infection that requires  her  to be put in a medically induced coma.  Emily 's parents and Kumail spend time together at the hospital sizing each other up as they worry about  Emily . The coma may sound like a fictional contrivance  but it really happened. Let's start with an early scene from "The Big Sick" in which Kumail and Emily first meet. He's just done a set at a small comedy club. He walks to the bar where he sees the woman who yelled out a woo-hoo during his set.
KAZAN: (As  Emily ) I didn't heckle you. I just woo-hooed (ph) you. It's supportive.
KAZAN: (As  Emily)  So if I yelled out  like  you're amazing in bed  that'd be a heckle?
NANJIANI: Yeah  they had to take pressure off of  Emily 's body. So they would put some of the vital functions on machines so that  her  body wasn't taxed. I remember when I got to the hospital   Emily  was in the E.R. And I went in  and I was talking to  her . And the nurse came in. And the nurse - first thing  she  said to -  she  was holding reports and  she  said to me - or to  Emily   she  said  oh  you're a very sick girl.
And I was like  what does that mean?  She  doesn't really look that sick.
GROSS: Kumail  did you talk to  her  while  she  was in coma?
GROSS: So you know  I've always wanted to ask this to someone.  Emily   what's it like when you come out of coma? Like what - what's the first feeling that you have?
NANJIANI: I think that might be an appropriate term.  Emily  mentioned that people were coming in to say hi to  her . That was because  Emily  was by far the youngest person in the ICU at that time. So all the family members of all the other patients were very aware of  Emily . So they were all kind of rooting for  her . And so they were very excited. They were very excited when  she  was up because they just wanted  her  to get out of the ICU.
GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. And if you're just joining us  my guests are Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. They're married  and they co-wrote the new romantic comedy "The Big Sick" that's based in part on their relationship. And one of the parts of the movie that is true is that after they started seeing each other   Emily  had to be put in a medically induced coma because  she  had such a raging infection that they had to do that.
And I actually recently found one of my mom's emails to me. And it was during the period that  Emily  and I were dating. And reading the email chain was kind of devastating because I saw how I was clearly leading them on and letting them think that I was going to do it. Honestly  at the time  I couldn't imagine a world where I did have an arranged marriage. And I couldn't imagine a world where I didn't have an arranged marriage.
GROSS: Kumail  how did you tell your parents about  Emily ?
NANJIANI: So I did while [TGT][TGT]  was really sick. It had been - I forget  you know  what day it was or when it was. And I sort of remember where I was. My mom - my parents had been calling me just sort of to say hi to me all week. And I hadn't been answering the phone. And then one day when - you know  because being in the hospital was a rollercoaster.
NANJIANI: In the moment  [TGT] reaction was is [TGT] - what's wrong with [TGT]? Is [TGT] going to be OK? Are you OK? And then [TGT] sort of checked up on  Emily  every day  called me every day. And then as soon as  Emily  was out of the coma  that's when she got really angry. She was like  how could you do this to me? But while  Emily  was sick   she  just wanted to make sure  Emily  was OK. And then  she  got angry later.
GROSS:  Emily   was it an issue in your family that you were marrying a Pakistani man  you know  an immigrant who was Muslim? I don't know what religion you are if any at all. But was that an issue?
GROSS: Kumail Nanjiani and  Emily V. Gordon  speaking to Terry Gross last year. He's the star and they're the co-writers of the movie "The Big Sick " which is nominated for an Oscar as best original screenplay. We'll hear more of their conversation in the second half of the show. And we'll also remember Wesla Whitfield  the cabaret singer who died recently at age 70. I'm David Bianculli  and this is FRESH AIR.
BIANCULLI: This is FRESH AIR. I'm David Bianculli  in for Terry Gross  back with more of Terry's 2017 interview with Kumail Nanjiani and  Emily V. Gordon . They're the co-writers of the movie "The Big Sick " which is nominated for an Oscar as best original screenplay. He also stars in the film  which is based on their real-life relationship and how they first met and became a couple. Kumail grew up in Pakistan  came to U.S. to attend college and stayed. When he and  Emily  were falling love  he knew his parents wanted him to have an arranged marriage with a woman who was Muslim and Pakistani.