MUMBAI: Shagufta Ali is going through a tough phase in her life. The actress who given 36 years to the industry and has worked in popular films and TV serials. She is going through a financial crunch owing to her health issues.

She told a media portal, "I have been ill for the last 20 years but at that time I was young and I could handle it. I had cancer in the third advanced stage and I became a survivor. This is the first time I am talking about this in the media. Nobody knew that I had gone through this phase except a very few people from the industry who were my close friends. That was the time when I had a lot of work in my hand. I was diagnosed with Breast cancer and it was at the third stage. I had to go through major surgery to remove that lump. I took chemotherapy which was like getting a new birth every time but I was so dedicated to my work and my responsibilities towards the people I was taking care of that on the seventeenth day of my surgery I traveled to Dubai with a cushion on my chest to shoot for my show. I had a couple of accidents during my shoots. I hurt my legs a lot then I had one major accident while I was going to see my father. My bone broke into two pieces and I had to put a steel rod in my hand. I still have that. But all these things didn't stop me from working. I kept doing work and living my life with a positive attitude. But now from the last 4 years, life has become too harsh on me. I got detected with diabetes 6 years back and since then I have been facing a lot of health issues. Because I witnessed a lot of things much earlier in my life which people usually witness after the age of 65, my health condition has worsened. Diabetes has affected my feet very badly. I have this numbness in my fit and in between, I used to have terrible pain. My sugar level shoots up because of my stress level. And now it has affected my eyes also and for that I have to go through this treatment."

Shagufta had a cameo in Jennifer Winget and Harshad Chopda's Bepannah but has been out of work for the last four years.

"I don't know why but from last four years, less work has come to me and whatever came, at the last moment it didn't get materialized. Kuch kaam to 99 percent hone ke baad mana ho gaye. I have just done one film in between and that also has not been completed. I shot for it before the pandemic happened. The last full-fledged work which I did was Saath Nibhana Saathiya for a stretch of 10-11 months. For 36 years, I have been working in the industry. In May, I completed 36 years. I started working at the age of 17 and now I am 54. Since that time these four years have shown me the worst period of my life. I had no help. Not many knew that I am going through a major financial crunch because till then I sold a lot of my assets to survive."

The actress added, "I need immediate financial help and also work to survive. I was really confused, honestly If I should come out and ask for help. But I am in need as I have nothing left to sell now. I have taken a loan from the people which I have to repay. Other than that I have to pay house EMI's, medical bills, and other things. The liabilities and responsibilities don't end. Nobody is going to wait until I am going through a financial crisis so let's wait. They want the money."

Credits: SpotboyE