Veteran TV and Bollywood actress, Shagufta Ali, who has been working in the industry for the last 36 years, is facing financial and health woes.
The actress has opened up about her health and financial issues for the first time in her career.
In an exclusive interview with ETimes TV, the actress shared about how she was diagnosed with breast cancer 20 years ago while she was doing hit show ‘Saans’ and had to go through 9 chemo therapies.
The seasoned actress revealed in the interview, that she has been struggling financially for the last four years and has sold off her car and jewellery to make ends meet.
Shagufta Ali also stated that CINTAA had earlier contacted her for help but she couldn’t take their assistance as the union can help with only a certain amount.
“I haven’t received any help till now.
CINTAA had earlier contacted me to help but I couldn’t take their help because the amount was not sufficient for any kind of thing.
I was a member of CINTAA and I know they can help with a certain amount only and that would have not been helpful for me.
So I did not take their help.
I tried to contact Sonu Sood sir but they don’t help with financial expenditure.
So nothing worked out with him,” she said.
Talking about facing financial woes, the senior actress said, “I started facing issues in the last 4 years as work reduced.
There was less work, so somehow I tried to manage things on my own by selling off my car and jewellery.
I somehow managed to handle things in the first 2/3 years but now in the last 1 year things have been very difficult as I have exhausted all my savings.
Honestly, initially I didn’t want to ask for help so I thought whatever I have let me sell that and once I get work, things will get back to normal.
But things got from bad to worse because of the pandemic.
For me it has been a case of Man proposes and God disposes.
For everyone else they are facing lockdown for the last one year but for me it is going on for the last 4 years.
Jitni buri haalat logon ko last ek saal mein hui hai utni buri Meri 4 saal se hui hai…”

Shagufta Ali, who was last seen in Bepanaah, talked about her battle with Breast Cancer and how she had to take 9 chemotherapy sessions, “I was diagnosed with breast cancer 20 years back and had to take 9 chemotherapy sessions.
I am a survivor of third stage Breast cancer.
It was a very difficult phase but that time one is younger, more positive and energetic and when anything happens, you just really want to do everything and come out of it.
So, I really fought well and I did not expect that I would be such a good survivor.
I was fine after a while.
But yes of course when you suffer with such a disease, your body goes through after effects.
You take medicines, chemotherapy and it makes you weaker and I took 9, so I was very weak as compared to any other patient.
Thankfully, the almighty was really there and helped me fight that.
I fought with each and everything at that point of time, even struggled and managed to survive,” said she.
Even after the health scare, Shagufta Ali continued to work round the clock as her family needed financial support.
She even flew to Dubai after her Breast Cancer surgery by holding a cushion on her chest as the stitches were not removed, “It was during my show Saans as I had it mid-way during that and I still managed to do all my shoots.
I completed shooting during my other show Chattan’s shoot.
I remember we would travel to Dubai to shoot the show.
In fact, once I had to travel with a cushion on my chest as I was not supposed to travel in that condition.
Doctor had clearly told me, you will do it at your own risk.
Since the stitches were still there, I had to carry a cushion and hold it all the time.
During that time I would shoot for 3-4 shows together and I used to shoot for films also and I would do all of them.
I have shot for them with my stitches on.
When I shot for my film Sirf Tum, I shot it with a broken hand.
I shot for the entire film with a broken hand and my co-actors Tej Sapru, Priyanka Gill and others would look at me with astonishment.
They would tell me your hand has turned blue, your stitches are on and how do you still manage to shoot.
I had a rod inside my hand.
I would tell myself I have to do it and so, I am shooting.
It was necessary for me.
It was my commitment and need at that time to work.
I was young and I could manage at that time.
I had so many responsibilities on my shoulders that I had to do,” she revealed.
The celebrated actress did not share her ordeal with anyone and continued to work hard, “I did not tell anyone about the breast cancer thing.
Only Neena Gupta ji was aware about it as I was doing Saans at that point and it was her show.
Rest nobody knew about my illness.
I was hospitalised for 15-16 days and I immediately resumed work after that.
I just told everyone that I was not feeling well but nobody was aware of the actual reason.
I would adjust my timing accordingly as I was not allowed to shoot for long hours.
I would adjust hours and did not tell anyone.
This is the first time I am talking about it.”
She added, “With God’s grace I am fine in terms of Breast cancer.
The doctors had told me earlier that we can take a medically 5 year guarantee of your survival and after that if you survive it’s your destiny.
God has been kind to me and my mother’s prayers are with me, I’ve been quite fine after that.
Now, I need financial help for my mother’s treatment and as I have got diabetes 6 years ago, things have become very bad for me.
It has affected me very badly.
Shagufta Ali had to shoulder her family’s responsibility at a very young age because of her father’s illness and she did not get married as there was nobody to look after her parents.
The actress shared how legendary actor Dilip Kumar took care of father’s expensive surgery 38 years ago and helped her find a job in the Indian film industry, “One of the reasons behind not tying the knot was that I had my family’s responsibility on my shoulders and I had to take care of them.
I started working because of my family.
I was just 17 when I started working.
I started working because my father had to undergo a very big heart surgery in London and Dilip Kumar Sahab had taken him there for his treatment.
He had borne all the expenses for it.
My father was his close friend and so all the expenses were taken care of by Dilip uncle and this was 38 years ago.
During that time Yusuf Uncle aka Dilip Kumar had spent Rs 6 lakh on his treatment in London.
The surgery was successful, he stayed there for 2 months and came back.
My mother and I are too indebted to him.
He did us a big favour.
After that I did two years of schooling and he helped us a lot financially as my father couldn’t work after the surgery.
As there was nobody to look after and I was the only person, I decided to work.
I finished my SSC and approached Yusuf uncle for work.
He asked me to get married but I told him that I wanted to help my parents and look after the family.
He then helped me with films.
He got me my first film ‘Kaanon Apna Apna’, though I had done a Telugu film first but he got me that film.
He then got me another film and from there on I started working.
Even at that time I wanted to help my parents and even now I want to look after my family,” said the Saans actress.
The senior actress is now hoping to get financial or work related help so that she can take care of her mother and herself, “Work has always come to me.
I get offered shows but sometimes budget issues come up, sometimes everything gets finalised and I am suddenly told that the role has gone to someone else.
Sometimes I am told the channel has replaced me or the production house has got me replaced, so I get to hear nonsensical issues.
More than medical help at this point I need financial help.
Because my mother and I are already undergoing treatment and we have our doctors it’s just that we don’t have financial aid.
So for medical help we need financial assistance.
Right now work and financial help is more important,” concluded she.
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