Shagufta Ali recalls hiding stage 3 breast cancer, says fear of losing work kept her silent: ‘My savings ran out too’
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
Veteran star Shagufta Ali has always remained very open about discussing the most difficult period of her life. From having stage three breast cancer to running out of money due to her health issues and those of her father’s, she claims to have shouldered all responsibilities without having to ask for any kind of assistance from anyone. When it comes to discussing how she was criticised for her financial problems, she has remained very honest about it too. In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, the star discussed why she hit her diagnosis.
Adding to this, 'I never begged for money': Shagufta Ali on cancer battle and financial struggles. Why she hid her breast cancer diagnosis Shagufta opened up that she kept her stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis a secret because she was scared it would affect her career. She shared the industry's attitude at the time left her feeling she had no choice.
Meanwhile, Asked why she never spoke about it, Shagufta replied, “Uss zamaane mein uss cheez ko ye kaha jaata tha ki nahi nahi nahi nahi nahi, batana nahi batana. Bilkul don't talk about it and don't speak about it. Nahi toh kaam milna. 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 (Translation: Back then, the prevailing attitude was—no, no, no—you simply couldn't talk about it. You absolutely weren't supposed to mention it; otherwise, you wouldn't get work. There was that fear—the threat that work would dry up. People in the industry would start acting or behaving in certain ways. So, I didn't say anything.)"
Notably, In the tough days that followed, she shared that she had to sell her jewellery and car in order to survive, but she made it clear that she did not have to sell her house. Till today, she finds herself comfortable traveling in an auto rickshaw for work and medical purposes.
As per the latest buzz, She further talked about how people questioned her about having no savings. “ 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. I'm not an Ambani, Tata or Adani, am I? It's not like my money would never run out. How much savings do you think I could possibly have? I'm a television star. I'm the only earning member in my house. Those savings had to cover illnesses, everyday expenses, groceries, maintaining the household, everything.”
In further updates, What she could not understand is why her inability to ask for help irked people, as she did not get why it mattered to them what she did with her savings. She shared that she did not use her money to gamble in night clubs, drink excessively, live a luxurious life or go out partying. What irritated her more was having to answer them about her spending habits and she wanted to know just what the problem was. Speaking about the persistent queries about what happened to her savings, she explained that all of it was spent on her hospital bills.
On top of that, Shagufta Ali, who was going to be seen in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai as the soon-to-release two-year leap in the serial, is now not a part of the show anymore. She had been chosen to portray the role of the grandma of Aaditya Gupta, but she had to back out of the project owing to health issues. The makers have replaced her with Neelu Vaghela.
Source: Hindustan Times