Exclusive: Tannishtha Chatterjee shares stage IV breast cancer battle

'Everything has fallen apart in my life, but I am not broken. The biggest takeaway of my ordeal is humanity. People care, you just need to reach out to them'

Actor-director and single mother, Tannishtha Chatterjee, is a warrior at heart. Just recovering from the loss of her father to cancer last year, the actress was devastated when she was diagnosed with metastatic (stage IV) breast cancer four months ago. All of this in the middle of a film she was making.

‘For the first time, I am tired of being strong’
While Tannishtha is positive about conquering yet another hurdle, the thought of having to continuously put up a fight has drained her. “For the first time, I am tired of being strong. Last year, I lost my father to cancer. I had no time to grieve because I had the responsibility of my mother, who is 70 and my daughter, who is 9. I had to be strong for them. Within five days of losing my dad, I was back on set of my film Ek Ruka Hua Faisla. I didn’t know what I was doing. I listened to his favourite songs and reminded myself that I need to carry on. I believe all of this can take a toll on your health. After I was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, I thought… Why me? Is it karma? I was devastated. Friends, spirituality and yoga are helping me to cope with it,” she says, adding, “The disease is at an advanced stage, but the doctors have given me the confidence to believe that I will be okay. I have undergone six chemotherapy sessions. I am not vain, but when you face excessive hairfall, weight loss, eyebrow thinning, it takes a toll on you.”

‘Never take your health for granted, no matter how fit you are’
Stressing on precautionary measures, Tannishtha shares, “I was extremely proud that I had never faced any health issues before. In fact, I was arrogant because I was healthy. I believed nothing would ever happen to me. My dad was super fit and never went to a doctor until he was diagnosed with Leukaemia. The point I am making here is that you should never take your health for granted, no matter how fit you are. I would advise women over the age of 40 to undergo mammography as early detection can be beneficial. I made a mistake. I thought I was an exception, but it can hit anyone.”

‘I sent my daughter to the US because I wanted to protect her childhood’
One of the toughest decisions for the actress, who is a single mom, was sending her little daughter to the US to live with her sister. The actress says, “My daughter thinks I am a superwoman, and I want her to continue believing that. Some people believe kids should be told everything, but I wanted to protect her. That’s what parents do. As adults, we go through grief, but I didn’t want her childhood to be consumed by grief. She didn’t want to go to the US, but I didn’t want her to see me like this. I didn’t want her to feel insecure about her future and wanted her to know that she has people who will take care of her and love her.”

Sharib-Tannishtha to collaborate on a live performance for cancer awareness
Sharib Hashmi, whose wife has been an oral cancer survivor, visited Tannishtha at the hospital. Tannishtha says, “We got talking and decided we can collaborate on a live performance which will touch upon cancer awareness, but not in a dark or depressing way. It will have music and will be semi-biographical. It will show how humour and good friends can help you sail through any crisis.”


Tannishtha’s support system
It was Tannishtha’s US-based sister who told her that it’s okay to reach out for help. “When I started my treatment, the doctors said, you need a friend or family to sign the papers. I was crying because my mother or child couldn’t do it. My sister told me, ‘It’s okay to not be strong or not be in charge. Please reach out to your friends’.” Apparently, her group of close friends, comprising Shabana Azmi, Richa Chadha, Konkona Sensharma, Vidya Balan, Divya Dutta, Urmila Matondkar and Dia Mirza, has been her pillar of support. They accompanied her to her chemo sessions and never left her alone.

On a concluding note, Tannishtha says, “Everything has fallen apart in my life, but I am not broken.
I don’t feel negative. The biggest takeaway of my ordeal is humanity. People care; you just need to reach out to them.”