“You are my hero.” Anupam Kher told teary-eyed Mahima Chaudhry as she spoke about her battle with cancer.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00My half chemo I meant just to make conversation with him and I said
00:03Arey, aapki dawaai bas itni hai, meri toh itni saari hai
00:07Isi se toh theek hote hain
00:09He said that?
00:10He was also getting treated for it?
00:12Isi se toh theek hote hain
00:14Toh I said haan, lekin firna main
00:16You know like, bahut din tak aise hi reti rehti hoon, meko bahut takleef hoti hain
00:24What are you thinking?
00:25I don't know
00:26Just trying to concentrate on the camera
00:29See that he gets my focus
00:31After how long are you doing this photoshoot?
00:33Oh, photoshoot I do at home
00:36But I do it with my hair that I've bought
00:40Which I think is my hair
00:41So what happened? Tell me the story of
00:43I called you up for this role in the film Shakemaker
00:47Yeah, it's uncanny
00:48You called me at a time when I'm just getting my infusion
00:52And the nurses are standing on me
00:54And I know you're in the USA
00:57So when I see it go
00:59Anupam Kher USA number
01:01I was like, he's calling me because it's urgent
01:03You know, because we don't call and chat
01:05Hey, hey, what's happening there?
01:07So I said let me answer this
01:08So I take it
01:09And you start saying that
01:12You know, I want you to do a film
01:13And I say, you know, I would love to do
01:16But can you wait?
01:17And you said, no, no, no, no, I can't wait
01:19Why do you want me to wait?
01:20And why is there so much noise in your house?
01:21And I said, I couldn't lie
01:23Because all the nurses were around me
01:25So I said, I'm not at home
01:27Where are you?
01:28So I'm like, I'm in the hospital
01:30That's not the way I talk
01:31You talk
01:32I was nice to you
01:34No, surprisingly, ever since I lost my hair
01:36I was getting a lot of calls for
01:38You know, like web series and this and that
01:41And I was like, God, why am I getting calls now?
01:43When I don't even have hair
01:45So I didn't tell them
01:47But with you, I just can't like not tell you
01:50That I don't want to do your film
01:51So I said, okay
01:53And you started rattling off the role
01:54And you're like this, you're like this
01:56And then you have to pay this
01:58I was like, okay, are you going to do it?
02:00And I was like, yeah, but
02:01No, but are you going to do it?
02:03So I was like, okay
02:05But I need to talk to you
02:07So then I spoke to you in the night
02:08And I told you that
02:10Is it okay if I come to the sets with a wig?
02:13And you said, why would you come with a wig?
02:15And I said that I've lost my hair
02:16I've just gone through treatment
02:25I don't know, it just gets emotional
02:28That's okay
02:29I think you're the most courageous person
02:32I just want to thank you for
02:36Being okay with it
02:37Because I thought I should tell you that
02:39I'll be wearing a wig
02:40And then you said
02:42Why even a wig?
02:43Why can't you just do the film just as the way you are?
02:46And I said
02:48I don't know if I have the courage
02:49And you said
02:51I think you do
02:53I just think it's so nice
02:56And did you discover that you have breast cancer?
02:59No, my breast cancer
03:01I didn't have any symptoms
03:03I do a yearly test for myself
03:06Where I do my sonography and blood tests
03:10You know the yearly checkups?
03:11It was an annual checkup
03:13Where my person who was doing my sonography said
03:16I think you should go and get this checked
03:20With Dr. Mandar who's an oncologist
03:23And I know about him
03:25So the minute I heard that
03:26Luckily I had a friend with me
03:28I never take anyone with me
03:29When I do all these yearly checkups
03:31And so I went and met Dr. Mandar
03:34And he said
03:35We'll do a biopsy but it doesn't look anything
03:38These are cells which are pre-cancer cells
03:41It's called DCIS
03:43And sometimes they become cancer
03:45Sometimes they don't become cancer
03:47So it's up to you
03:48Do you want to remove them?
03:49And I said no, no, no
03:50I'm like take it out, take it out
03:52So we did a biopsy
03:54And it didn't come cancer
03:56It was negative
03:57But I still wanted to take it out
03:59So when we took it out
04:01And they did a biopsy of the entire
04:03Cells that were removed and tissues
04:05They found tiny cells
04:07Like a tiny portion of cells
04:09That had already become cancer
04:11And so he said that
04:12When you were in this surgery
04:15We put a port
04:16So I still have the port here
04:18You know this raised bit
04:19And then you have these veins
04:21Which are going in
04:22So they said we have to give you chemo
04:24And then I started crying
04:25And then my sister was like
04:27It's treatable
04:28Doctors are saying it's 100% treatable
04:31You know these are very, very early cancers
04:33And that's the one thing that
04:35You know if you catch it early
04:36Cancer is treatable
04:37And my sister was like
04:38Why are you behaving like a 17th century woman?
04:41Why are you crying?
04:42I mean the doctor is like
04:43Good news
04:44And you're crying
04:46But I think they're just so terrified
04:48Of the word cancer
04:50Which is why I didn't share it
04:52With my parents
04:53Because they're so vulnerable
04:56They are like
04:57I live with them
04:58And they're like
04:59Especially my mother is like
05:01She's very vulnerable last two years
05:03She's been with nurses
05:05So I said
05:06I just went and told her
05:07Mummy I have a lump in my breast
05:10So I had it removed
05:11That's why I didn't see you for 10 days
05:14And her blood pressure
05:15Just went up and down
05:17And she had
05:19She was passing out
05:21And then by the evening
05:22We had to take her to the hospital
05:24What do you feel now?
05:27You've shot for two days
05:29I feel so good
05:32What do you want to tell women
05:34Who discover suddenly
05:36Because
05:37I think I learnt from the women
05:39I learnt from a lot of women
05:41There were a lot of women
05:42Who were coming to chemo
05:43And they were like
05:44Oh I'm going to work
05:45Straight from here
05:46And I was like really?
05:47Why do you have to work?
05:48Doesn't your company
05:49Give you an off during chemo?
05:50They said no no
05:51They gave us off
05:52It's completely paid for
05:53But I don't like to sit at home
05:54I like to work
05:55When I'm doing this
05:56It just makes me feel normal
05:58And I was like
06:00Not the very brave one
06:02I was like
06:03Everyone in my family
06:04Was brave
06:05Like my friends
06:06And my sister
06:07And my brother
06:08I was like all the time
06:09Weeping and crying
06:10There was a little boy
06:11I heard his voice
06:13And he gave me strength
06:16And I just looked at him
06:18And during my half chemo
06:20I went just to make conversation
06:21With him
06:22And I said
06:23Your medicines are just this much
06:24I have so many
06:25This is how you get cured
06:27He said that?
06:28Yes
06:29He was also getting treated for it?
06:30Yes
06:31This is how you get cured
06:32So I said
06:33Yes
06:34But then
06:35You know
06:36For a long time
06:37I just lie like this
06:38It hurts a lot
06:39So he said
06:40Even I
06:41I just lie for 5 days
06:42And then I play
06:44And then
06:45You know like
06:46I'm fine
06:47I'm back to myself
06:48So I was like
06:49Wow
06:50Shashila, what I want to tell you
06:51Is that
06:52You are my hero
06:53So
06:54She is my hero
06:56And
06:57She is fantastic
06:58She is the best thing
06:59And she is beautiful
07:00He actually said
07:01When I said
07:02I don't know
07:03I'll suit
07:04You know being on sets
07:05Like this
07:06He says
07:07You know we don't have
07:08Many people
07:09And that's what
07:10We are looking for
07:11And
07:12You are one of them
07:13So thank you
07:14He has been so supportive
07:15Oh my God
07:16Thank you so much
07:17So much
07:18All those people
07:19Who are listening to
07:20Mahima Chaudhary
07:21She is the best thing
07:22And she is superb
07:23You need more people
07:24Like this
07:25Because
07:26No matter how many people
07:27You have holding your hand
07:28It's not enough
07:29During times like this
07:30So
07:31Yeah
07:32I am so grateful
07:33So all of you people
07:34Now have to pray
07:35She is fine
07:36She is fine by the way
07:37Yeah I am fine
07:38I am totally recovered
07:39Yes
07:40And I am doing well
07:41Thank you
07:42Lots of love
07:43Thank you
07:44Thank you so much
07:45Thank you
07:46Thank you
07:47Cut