All That Breathes director Shaunak Sen undergoes partial kidney removal, opens up on ‘accitdental’ cancer diagnosis: ‘Never had a better excuse for…’

by

Noted filmmaker Shaunak Sen underwent a health alarm when doctors found a small cancerous growth in his kidney. In a subsequent post, he disclosed that the cancer has been successfully treated, expressing gratitude by stating, “The unexpected discovery turned out to be a fortunate twist of events,” and further commented, “I’ve never had a more convincing reason for friends who’ve complained about my unavailability in the past few months.

Shaunak Sen detailed his health experiences on Instagram, uploading pictures from the hospital. An image displayed him lying in a hospital bed, whereas other posts depicted interactions with friends who came to see him during his healing process, such as filmmaker Mira Nair and actress Tillotama Shome.

Just wanted to share some unexpected news – during a routine checkup in late October, I received quite a surprise diagnosis. A scan discovered a small malignant tumor in my kidney! Totally out of the blue. No kidney issues beforehand, no family history, and no significant past habits like drinking or smoking. The doctors have recommended immediate surgery.

See the post here: 

He mentioned, “On December 26th, I underwent a partial nephrectomy – that’s when part of my kidney was taken out. Initially, the procedure was robotic, but it had to be switched to open surgery halfway through, resulting in quite an extensive scar on my abdomen reminiscent of David Cronenberg’s body horror films. The operation was a success; the cancer has been eliminated from my body. It turned out to be a fortunate turn of events; the cancer was detected very early and at a low-grade stage. I’ve been recovering since then, regaining my strength.

Shaunak Sen’s post revealed that he had been separated from social gatherings for quite a while due to health issues, which meant that his festivities for Durga Puja, Diwali, Christmas, and New Year were all celebrated in a hospital setting. He expressed heartfelt thanks to those friends who stood by him during this challenging period, as well as the skilled doctors. Additionally, he shared some honest photos of the individuals who made his recovery process less daunting.

In 2023, Shaunak Sen, a filmmaker, received global recognition for his documentary titled All That Breathes. This captivating film is based in Delhi and focuses on the lives of two brothers, Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad. These dedicated individuals spend their time saving and nurturing injured birds, particularly black kites.

The documentary received a nomination as the Best Documentary Feature at the 95th Academy Awards, but unfortunately didn’t take home the prize in the end.

Read More

2025-01-20 08:07