Hamsa Nandini opens up about battling breast cancer on Women's Day

Tollywood actress Hamsa Nandini’s life changed when she was diagnosed with grade 3 carcinoma in July 2020, just as she resumed shooting for a film post-lockdown.

Her mother, Yamini, had also battled breast cancer 18 years ago and unfortunately lost the flight. After a series of scans and tests, Hamsa underwent surgery to remove the tumour, 16 cycles of chemotherapy to ensure there was no spread of cancer. Just as she assumed the worst was over, she tested positive for BRCA1 (hereditary breast cancer), she had a genetic mutation that almost guaranteed a 70% chance of another resurgence of cancer in her life. She underwent prophylactic surgery to mitigate that last year.


Despite it all, Hamsa says she has not let the disease define her life, fighting it with a smile and is pumped to get back to acting stronger than ever. She began shooting for her next in November last year. “I have always felt the most alive in front of the camera. Being back on the sets has proven to be more therapeutic than I could have imagined. I already feel stronger and more energised than ever before,” she says, adding, “I am thankful for the universe that I am alive.During my chemotherapy, I made a promise to myself that I would live every moment like it was my last and that I would leave this world in a better shape than I found it.” The actress is also establishing a cancer foundation named after her mother.