"Fear Of Losing Work": Shagufta Ali On Keeping Her Cancer Diagnosis A Secret

Veteran actress Shagufta Ali has revealed that she kept her stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis private for a long time because she feared it could affect her career and future work opportunities. The actress said she was worried that people in the industry might stop offering her roles if they found out about her health condition.

In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, the 59-year-old said that during that time, actors were often advised not to talk about serious health issues, as it could affect their career opportunities. She said the fear of not getting work stopped her from sharing her diagnosis publicly.

She said, "Uss zamaane mein uss cheez ko ye kaha jaata tha ki nahi batana. Bilkul don't talk about it and don't speak about it. Nahi toh kaam nahi milna. (Back then, the attitude towards such things was — no, no, no, don't tell anyone about it. Absolutely don't talk about it or mention it. Otherwise, you won't get work)”

The actress added, “Phir wahi darr, dara diya ki kaam nahi milega. Phir industry waale aisa karne lagte hain, aisa behave karte hain, aisa behave karte hain. Toh nahi bataya tha maine. (That same fear was created — that I would stop getting work. People in the industry would start behaving differently and treating me differently. So, I did not reveal it)”

Shagufta Ali also shared that her financial struggles increased during this period, and her savings eventually ran out as she managed her medical expenses.

She revealed that she had to sell her jewellery and car to manage her expenses and survive. However, she clarified that she did not have to sell her house. She said that even today, she is comfortable travelling by auto-rickshaw for her work and medical needs.

The actress also explained why she had no savings left. She said many people questioned her, asking how she could run out of money after working for so many years.

"When I started facing difficulties from 2017 onwards, people began questioning me, saying, 'Didn't you have any savings?' Of course I did. I had plenty of savings, and that's exactly what I used all these years," she said.

"How much savings do you think I could possibly have? I'm a television actor. I'm the only earning member in my house. Those savings had to cover illnesses, everyday expenses, groceries, maintaining the household, everything," she added.

She also said that people should not assume that every actor has a huge amount of money saved. She added that she never spent her earnings on a luxurious lifestyle or unnecessary things, but used them for her family's needs and medical bills.