Published 19:46 IST, January 19th 2025
All That Breathes Director Shaunak Sen Reveals Cancer Diagnosis: It Was Caught Very Early At A Low-Grade Stage
Director Shaunak Sen recently shared his cancer diagnosis. He wrote a lengthy note on Instagram and mentioned how the discovery was a blessing in disguise.

Director Shaunak Sen, best known for the Academy nominated documentary All That Breathes had a major health scare. He recently penned a lengthy note and revealed his cancer diagnosis which sparked concern amongst netizens.
Shankar Sen’s note on cancer diagnosis: The accidental discovery was a blessing
Shaunak Sen took to Instagram and shared a bunch of pictures of hospital. One picture showcased him on the hospital bed and featured his friends who came to visit him. Along with the pictures, he wrote in the caption, “Bit of an absurd update. October end, 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. On the 26th 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.”
He further wrote, “The accidental discovery was a blessing in disguise, it was caught very early at a low-grade stage. Recovering since and regaining strength. (Never had a better excuse for all acquaintances complaining about my going awol in recent months - my pujo, diwali, christmas, new years were all in a hospital room. And here's some blurry bad photos of friends who made it all tolerable, alongside the excellent surgeons.) (P.s - the masked men in picture 1 are the protagonists of All That Breathes. )”.
Fans wish Shaunak Sen speedy recovery for
As soon as Shaunak Sen had shared the post, it sparked worry and concern amongst netizens. One user wrote, “What a shocking experience! I wish you a good and fast recovery, my friend”. Another user wrote, “So glad it was caught early. Take care and speedy recovery, Shaunak.”. “This whole episode kept us on our toes.. But it feels great that you are recovering well, feeling good, and will be back to full health soon”, wrote the third user. Another social media user wrote, “duude! glad to see you caught it on time and wishing you a speedy recovery!”. The Elephant Whisperers director Guneet Monga too wished him well and wrote, “Take care Shaunak!! Glad it all got caught early. Recover well”.

For the unversed, Shaunak Sen is an Academy award nominated Indian filmmaker, video artist and film scholar. His documentary film All That Breathes, won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at 2022 Sundance Film Festival and the Golden Eye award for the best documentary at 2022 Cannes Film Festival. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
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Updated 19:46 IST, January 19th 2025