By Srijony Das Last Updated:
A talented filmmaker, writer, producer and above all, a brave fighting spirit are some of the words that can aptly describe the personality of Tahira Kashyap. Well, not to miss out on one of her other identities as being the better half of the national award-winning actor, Ayushmann Khurrana, Tahira has been known for her fearless avatar and intelligent piece of mind. She had inspired millions of cancer victims and survivors out there when she, for the first time had spoken about her real-time experiences of being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. Interestingly, while she did not break down in such serious times in her life, she made sure that her challenges and experiences became a guiding light for millions of others like her.
Of her many recalled experiences about one of the toughest journeys of her life, Tahira had once spoken about the long-timed social prejudices about the deadly disease, which people and families still profess and believe. For the unversed, it was in September 2018 when Tahira announced being diagnosed with DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ) in her right breast. While she had narrated most of her experiences on her journey from treatment to survival, she had once also mentioned how her family advised her not to speak about her disease to anyone else beyond the private circle of the family. In an interview with IANS, she had mentioned:
“No one in my immediate environment judged me. Of course, I was also asked by a couple of my close relatives... they said that the news should remain within the confines of a family circle. I thought that maybe that's the right protocol. On the other hand, my doctor told me about so many cases... women who despite getting a few symptoms refuse to get themselves examined because of so much of humiliation associated with it. Some even feel guilty."
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Continuing with the same interview, Tahira also highlighted that it had always been the idea of self-love which motivated her to fight against the deadly disease. She also mentioned how cancer victims like her must do away with the multiple social prejudices, taboos and biases attached to the disease and instead focus on self-healing, which will help them to emerge as stronger people than they have always been. In her words:
“My basic has always been... creating awareness about early breast cancer detection and self-love. If you are suffering from cancer, do not let it define you. You are bigger than the disease. Be the stronger person that you always have been. I wanted to remove the stigma and taboo associated with cancer. No matter what life throws at you, take it in your stride and have immense love for yourself because it is you who are putting up the fight and you are no less than a warrior."
While being diagnosed with cancer had shaken Tahira’s entire life at once, it was her dear husband, Ayushmann who chose to hold her hand strongly and protected her against all fears and apprehensions. Recalling that phase in his personal life, Ayushmann once candidly spoke about the same in an interview with Mid-Day, and revealed how he and Tahira decided to take everything positively from the very first day they learnt about it. In his words:
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“We had to maintain a happy life state to deal with it. In fact, after we got to know about her condition, we went to see Manmarziyaan that evening. We told ourselves, ‘Okay, we’ve been diagnosed. We can’t go home and cry about it. It’s better to go for a film.’ So, we watched the film, came back and got the date for her operation.”
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In her personal life, Tahira is happily married to the talented actor, Ayushmann Khurrana, and the duo is proud parents to their sons. As a wife, Tahira has always been quite supportive of her hubby, and in fact, has been the powerful pillar always beside him. However, there was once a time when she rather hilariously explained her stance on Ayushmann performing kissing scenes on the silver screen and revealed that she had severe objections to the same. In an interview with Spotboye, Tahira spoke about how her reservations on the same had even impacted her relationship with Ayushmann. In her words:
“I had a problem with him kissing on screen. I felt like a big, huge fat whale sitting at home. When you are pregnant your hormones also go up and down. Here this boy is looking at his youngest youth best and he is romancing women and what is this onscreen kiss! We both were very young. He didn’t have the time and patience to take me along and I didn’t have the patience to understand. There was this disconnect that we were not there for each other to take each other along in that journey. Somewhere he knew that she doesn’t mean mad. I also knew he wasn’t cheating. I had to evolve as a person to understand what art is.”
What do you think about Tahira Kashyap’s fearless journey to recovery from cancer?
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