Her battle against the dreaded C word has inspired many since 2018, when director-author Tahira Kashyap Khurrana revealed that she was diagnosed with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) in her right breast. She underwent a mastectomy soon after.

On the occasion of World Cancer Day yesterday, the 39-year-old said that many cancer survivors thank her for inspiring them. “And that (their thankfulness) encourages me on multiple levels. [While battling against cancer], not every day is a good day. But, when you share your struggle with people, those days definitely become better. If I have been a source of strength for people, it’s been the other way around, too,” says Khurrana.

Rather than opting for a cosmetic treatment to do away with the scar her surgery left behind, the author embraced it wholeheartedly to inspire people. In fact, after her surgery in 2019, she also shared a photo of her bare back with a large scar on social media, and wrote, “…I truly embrace all my scars, as they are my badges of honour. There is nothing known as perfect. Happiness lies in truly accepting yourself.”

Talking about breast cancer, Khurrana stresses upon the need to be proactive and careful. “It’s important to remove the taboo around getting oneself physically examined by a doctor or getting mammography done. Even self-examination is critical. I want to spread the awareness about early breast cancer detection, which is not only treatable, but also curable,” says the Zindagi In Short director.