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All That Breathes director Shaunak Sen undergoes partial kidney removal, opens up on 'accidental' cancer diagnosis: ‘Never had a better excuse for…’
Shaunak Sen expressed relief that the issue was identified at a very early stage and shared that he is currently in the process of recovering and regaining his strength.
Renowned filmmaker Shaunak Sen recently experienced a health scare when doctors discovered "a small malignant tumor" in his kidney. In an update, he revealed that the cancer has now been successfully removed, saying, "The accidental discovery was a blessing in disguise," and added, "Never had a better excuse for all acquaintances complaining about my going AWOL in recent months."
Shaunak Sen shared his journey on Instagram, posting about his health challenges along with several hospital photos. One image showed him resting on a hospital bed, while others captured moments with friends who visited him during his recovery, including filmmaker Mira Nair and actor Tillotama Shome.
The post read, “Bit of an absurd update. At the end of October, during a checkup for an autoimmune thing, I got a shock diagnosis: a routine scan revealed a small malignant tumor in the kidney. Utter bolt from the blue. No kidney-related symptoms, no hereditary history, no big history of drinking/smoking. Urgent surgery was advised."
See the post here:
He added, “On the 26th of December I had a partial nephrectomy, i.e., a part of my kidney was removed. (it was converted from robotic to an open surgery midway, so there's a dramatic Cronenbergian gash in the belly.) It was successful; the cancer is out of me. The accidental discovery was a blessing in disguise; it was caught very early at a low-grade stage. Recovering since and regaining strength."
In his post, Shaunak Sen shared that he had spent several months away from social circles due to his health, mentioning that his celebrations for Pujo, Diwali, Christmas, and New Year were all confined to a hospital room. He expressed gratitude for the friends who supported him during this time and the skilled surgeons and included some candid photos of those who made his recovery journey more bearable.
In 2023, filmmaker Shaunak Sen garnered international acclaim for his documentary All That Breathes. Set in Delhi, the film tells the story of two brothers, Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad, who dedicate their lives to rescuing and caring for injured birds, particularly black kites.
The documentary earned a nomination for Best Documentary Feature at the 95th Academy Awards, though it ultimately did not secure the win
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