Veteran actress Shagufta Ali, who has appeared in several film and TV shows in a career spanning 30 years, has been struggling to make ends meet due to lack of work, for the past four years.
The 54-year-old popular actress who has featured in TV shows like as Bepannaah, Saath Nibhaana Saathiya, Veera and Sasural Simar Ka, reveals she is facing major financial crisis and health woes. The actress who is herself suffering from diabetes and other aliments has been taking care of her aged mother as well without any source of income.
Shagufta has been struggling to the pay medical bills from the last 3-4 years even after she has sold all her assets.
“I have sold my car, jewelry and I have been traveling in auto rickshaws to go to the doctor. It’s been very hurtful to me because I have been a self-made person. I had no support when I came to this industry and whatever work I have done, I got on merit. I need immediate financial help and also work to survive," she told in an interview to Spotboye.
The actress in an another interview with ETimes TV, shared about how she was diagnosed with breast cancer 20 years ago while she was doing hit show 'Saans'. Shagufta opened up about her battle with Breast Cancer and said "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.”
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."
On being asked if she reached out to her producers and colleagues for help and if someone extended help to her, Sagufta told various media outlets, "I am quite close to Neena ji (Neena Gupta), and had told her about it. She did help me earlier, and so did Sumeet Raghavan and Sushant Singh. I am thankful to them. And now CINTAA has also reached out, and I will discuss the matter with them."
Meanwhile, Cine And TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) told Times Of India that they will be reaching out to Shagufta Ali, who was a former member of CINTAA, for financial support. Speaking to TOI, CINTAA's Senior Joint Secretary Amit Behl said, "We will talk to Shagufta, even visit her. The first issue is to solve her anxiety. And, we shall ask her what she needs. The only thing here is that she is a former committee member of CINTAA, but let me be clear here that does not debar us from coming into the picture. Whatever she needs, we shall raise that amount through the actors enlisted with us currently and contribute even on a personal basis. We follow the Trade Union laws."