New Delhi: Acclaimed actor Tannishtha Chatterjee, celebrated for her powerful performances in films such as Parched and Brick Lane, has disclosed that she has been fighting stage 4 oligometastatic cancer for the past eight months.
The 44-year-old actor shared the news through a heartfelt post on Instagram, calling it a message of “love and strength” rather than one of despair.
Alongside a photo of herself sitting on a sofa with a shaved head, she wrote, “As if losing my father to cancer was not enough. Eight months back, I was diagnosed with stage 4 oligo metastatic cancer.”
Acknowledging the emotional toll, Chatterjee revealed that she has a 70-year-old mother and a nine-year-old daughter, both dependent on her. Yet, she said, the darkest times have shown her the brightest form of love.
“In those moments, I discovered an extraordinary kind of love — the kind that shows up, holds space, and never lets you feel alone. I found it in my amazing friends and family, whose unwavering support brought genuine smiles to my face even on the hardest days,” she wrote.
The actor also posted an old photo of a celebration with close friends Vidya Balan, Dia Mirza, Shabana Azmi, and Konkona Sen Sharma, adding that in a world increasingly dominated by technology and AI, it is human compassion that has been her saving grace.
“Their empathy, their messages, their presence — their humanity — is what’s bringing life back. Cheers to female friendships, the sisterhood that stood by me with fierce love, deep empathy, and unstoppable strength. You know who you are, and I am endlessly grateful,” she expressed.
Oligometastatic cancer occurs when cancer cells spread from the original site to other parts of the body.
Apart from Parched and Brick Lane, Chatterjee is known for films such as UnIndian (with Brett Lee), Angry Indian Goddesses, Doctor Rakhmabai, and Anna Karenina. She was last seen in Paresh Rawal-starrer The Storyteller.
