Breast of Luck: Born from friendship, musical shines light on cancer and care | Art-and-culture News

AFTER TWO consecutive days of hospital visits for targeted therapy for cancer, actor Tannishtha Chatterjee has returned to rehearsals, stepping back into the role of Sheila Roy, a singer.
Rehearsing alongside her is actor Sharib Hashmi, who plays a stockbroker marked a goofy, self-deprecating charm. Off stage, Hashmi has been a caregiver and biggest support for his wife Nasreen, a cancer survivor, an experience that informs his engagement with the upcoming play. Under the watchful eye of director Leena Yadav, the two actors perform scenes from Breast of Luck, a play they have co-written, drawing on personal experiences that have been woven into the script.
When Tannishtha and Sharib were shooting for a film in Dehradun in October 2024, they often spent their breaks discussing the possibility of developing a two-actor play. They began reading several scripts, but none felt right. In January 2025, on the day they were scheduled to meet in Mumbai for another round of discussions, Tannishtha received her diagnosis. Though shaken the news, and worried about how she would share this with her mother, and nine-year-old daughter, she chose not to cancel the meeting that evening.
“I thought it would make me feel better to meet a friend, even though I wasn’t planning to tell him about my diagnosis. When he sensed something was wrong, I broke down. He made me speak to Nasreen and that helped,” says Tannishtha.
The conversations that followed led Tannishtha and Sharib to decide to develop a play together from scratch, weaving in some of their experiences of dealing with cancer in the narrative. October, an initial draft was ready, which they read out to their friend, writer-director Leena for feedback. She responded positively and offered to direct the play. After weeks of readings and rehearsals, the one-hour-and-45 minutes long play is ready to open on January 29 at Mumbai’s G5A. After two shows each on January 29 and 30 at G5A, Breast of Luck will be staged on February 4, observed as World Cancer Day, as part of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival at Yashwantrao Chavan Center. On February 11, they will perform the play at the PL Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Akademi for Bharat Rang Mahotsav and in Lucknow on February 14.
From the very beginning, Sharib and Tannishtha were keen on developing a musical and keeping it lighthearted. “We started writing the play after Tannishtha was diagnosed with cancer. It was Tannishtha’s idea to incorporate some elements from our lives in the narrative. Yet, we were clear about giving it a humorous touch. We wanted to convey some important things but did not want to make it morose. That’s why we incorporated romance, music, and laughter,” says Sharib, known for his role as ‘JK’ in The Family Man web series. He says the play became their means of dealing with their respective personal struggles. The process of writing the play involved jamming in person as well as over Zoom. “We constantly improvised and re-wrote. Though we mostly wrote the parts involving our individual characters, we shared our ideas about them. We wrote our personal monologues,” says Tannishtha, a National School of Drama graduate who has acted in acclaimed movies like Brick Lane (2007), Parched (2015) and Joram (2023).
Several others contributed to the making of the play. Lyric Swanand Kirkere wrote a song, Maanaav Poddar composed the music and Ashley Lobo choreographed a sequence. NSD graduates Kunal Bhange and Sumit stepped in to do production design and lights, respectively. Casting director Mukesh Chabbra offered his space for rehearsals. “As a director, I just helped Sharib and Tannishtha with the structure and dramation. I did not want to intrude on what they were doing but be a part of their process,” says Leena, who has directed Rajma Chawal (2018) and House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths (2021).Story continues below this ad
Tannishtha is still undergoing treatment; in fact, she has a targeted therapy session on January 27, two days before the play’s opening.
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Alaka Sahani is a prominent film critic and journal based in Mumbai. With a career spanning over two decades, she has established herself as one of India’s most authoritative voices in cinematic journalism, known for an analytical approach and insights that transcend the standard cycle of celebrity journalism.

Expertise & Accolades
In 2014, Alaka was honoured with the National Film Award for Best Film Critic. Her Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) citation specifically lauded her for “highlighting facets of cinema beyond glamour and gossip” and for her ability to delve into the contemporary relevance of iconic filmmakers. Her commitment to journalic integrity was further recognised in 2019 with a Special Mention at the Red Ink Awards for her investigative feature, ‘In Search of a Star’. Her article titled ‘People Like Us’, published in The Indian Express on March 27, 2022, was shortled for Red Ink Award, 2023.

Global Industry Leadership
Alaka’s expertise is sought after major international and domestic film bodies:

Golden Globes: In 2025, she joined the international voting body for the 83rd Annual Golden Globes.

National Film Awards: She served on the prestigious jury for the 68th National Film Awards, helping select the finest contributions to Indian cinema.

Global Perspective: Her work consently bridges the gap between commercial Bollywood A-lers and emerging independent talents, offering nuanced insights into both Indian regional cinema and international film trends.

Focus & Vision
Beyond the screen, Alaka is a dedicated observer of Mumbai’s vibrant theatre scene and the horical evolution of the moving image. Through her long-form articles and deep-dive interviews, she continues to challenge “tried-and-tested” templates, providing readers with a deep understanding of the artic and systemic workings of the Indian and global film industry. … Read More

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