Veteran actor Shagufta Ali has never shied away from talking about the toughest phase of his life. This includes battling stage three breast cancer and facing financial strain due to both her own and her father’s health issues. She says she handled it all by herself, without asking anyone for help. She has also been outspoken about the criticism she faced over her financial problems.
Shagufta Ali why she hid her diagnosis
talking with Siddharth Kannan, the actor explained his reasoning for keeping his diagnosis a secret. Shagufta shared that she hid her stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis out of fear that it would hurt her career, adding that the mindset of the industry at the time made her feel like she had no other option. When asked why he remained silent, Shagufta replied, “Uss zamaane mein uss cheez ko ye kaha jaata tha ki nahi nahi nahi nahi nahi, batana nahi batana. Bilkul does not talk about it or talk 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 just couldn’t talk about it. You weren’t supposed to mention it, otherwise you wouldn’t get work. There was this fear: the threat that work would dry up. People in the industry would start acting or behaving a certain way).
Shagufta Ali by selling her jewelry and her car to survive
During that difficult stretch, she revealed that she had to part with her jewelry and car in order to move forward, though she was quick to clarify that her home was never in danger. Even now, he doesn’t mind traveling in an auto-rickshaw, be it for work or medical appointments. He also addressed the criticism he received for not having saves. “When I started facing difficulties from 2017, people started questioning me, saying, ‘Didn’t you have savings?’ Of course I did. I had a lot of savings, and this is exactly what I used all these years. I’m not an Ambani, a Tata or an Adani, am I? It’s not like my money never runs out. How much savings do you think I could have? I am a television actor. I am the only earning member in my house. These savings had to cover illnesses, daily expenses, groceries, home maintenance, everything.”
Shagufta Ali when questioned about her expenses
What puzzled her the most was why people were so upset by her refusal to seek help and why her personal savings were of concern to them in the first place. He noted that he did not spend his money on clubs, excessive drinking, an extravagant lifestyle or parties. What bothered her even more was having to constantly justify her spending to others, and she wondered why it was even a problem. Addressing repeated questions about where her savings went, she clarified that it had all gone towards her medical expenses.
Shagufta Ali is walking away from her upcoming TV show
Shagufta Ali, who was supposed to appear in a popular TV show, is no longer attached to the project. She had originally been cast as a Aditya Guptathe grandmother, but was forced to move away due to health complications.