“Some scars are deep, some within, some are seen while some are

hidden.”
In the case of cancer however, emotional scars may just outweigh physical ones.
The world of a breast cancer survivor can be incredibly lonely. While families
empathize and strangers sympathize, no one really embarks on the psychological
journey. As one copes with the bodily changes, the pressure of matching up to
someone else's idea of beauty can often plant a seed of doubt. Which is why, apart
from early detection and other prescribed dos and don'ts, it is as important for
women survivors to learn to love themselves enough to be able to ride through this
journey, and for us to accept that beauty can be formless too.

As one copes with the bodily changes, the pressure of matching up to someone
else's idea of beauty can often plant a seed of doubt. Which is why, apart from
early detection and other prescribed dos and don'ts, it is as important for women
survivors to learn to love themselves enough to be able to ride through this
journey, and for us to accept that beauty can be formless too.

Writer-director Tahira Kashyap was detected with pre-invasive breast cancer last
Back in September 2018, she shared an unexpected news with her thousands of
followers on Instagram that she was detected with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ)
in her right breast with high grade malignant cells. What followed was painful
sessions of chemotherapy, medication, mastectomy and reconstruction, and while
all of it could have crushed her spirit, Tahira emerged from the experience,
stronger, braver and more positive.

A time when her actor husband's career had been peaking with hits such as
Andhadhun and Badhaai Ho. While Ayushmann may have been 2018's most
successful actor, Tahira has been a real star. From posting pictures of her bald head
to showing her scars, her posts have carried messages of hope for many women
who go through breast cancer silently to avoid embarrassment. Between surviving
and thriving, Tahira Kashyap Khurranna chose the latter. When asked about the
situation when her 7-year-old son was uncomfortable seeing her go bald, what did
it take for her to normalize the state at home. Tahira replied: " When diagnosed
with cancer, people do not go bald out of choice. But women stop feeling beautiful.
On top of that when the world reacts like that, it only strengthens your self-doubt. I
didn't care about what the world thought of me, I felt beautiful. My son was like,
"Please don't come to the play area to meet my friends. And if you do, wear a cap."
I listened and then after some time, followed him. Seeing me, he was really
embarrassed. His friends were intrigued by this bald woman amidst them. After
10-15 minutes, everything became normal because I made it so. I was talking to
everyone the way I usually would. When they saw this energy coming from me,
they also reciprocated. And after a period of time, my son came up to me and told
me, "Mumma, you're looking nice." It was a small victory for me. I had changed
the definition of beauty for my son. "

In a recent post on Instagram, Tahira shared how “liberated” she has been feeling
after getting rid of her wig. Tahira shared, “Hello world! That’s a new me with the
old self! Was getting tired of the extensions. Well, this is how it is & it’s so
liberating, so much so that I don’t have to duck the shower while bathing or while
picking up the soap! Never thought I had to go bald, but this feels good”. In many
interviews towards the end of 2018, Ayushmann had shared that his wife is an
inspiration as she was strongly dealing with her health crisis.

Last year, Tahira came out with her new book --12 Commandments of Being A
Woman. She had turned director with short film Toffee and came out with Neena
Gupta-starrer Pinni last year. It was a part of Guneet Monga's anthology Zindagi in
Short.She has recently joined hands with Ekta Kapoor and Guneet Monga to
commence a cinema collective - Indian Women Rising, providing a platform to
promote and accentuate content created by Indian female filmmakers across the
globe. Needless to say she is an inspiration to thousands of people, who are out
there battling this disease.