Sharib Hashmi is currently standing firmly by his wife Nasreen Hashmi as she battles cancer once again after a sixth relapse. Despite the emotional and financial challenges the family is facing, the actor says he is trying his best to remain hopeful. “I am just trying to keep my mind in a positive frame, otherwise it will become very difficult for me to deal with. The treatment is underway and thankfully she is responding to it positively. My wife is a big fighter and seeing her spirit gives us hope too. But it is a long journey as the cancer has spread all over the body,” Sharib Hashmi says.Nasreen was first diagnosed with mouth cancer in August 2018 and has since undergone five surgeries to remove tumours. Although she had been in remission following her last surgery in September 2024, the disease returned earlier this year. Recalling how they discovered the relapse, Sharib shares, “Unhe do-dhai mahine se khaansi chal rahi thi and at that time, everyone was coughing due to the poor AQI. So, we thought it may be because of that. We got an X-ray done too, and there was no problem in it. But in mid-Feb, she got a blister in her mouth, and we immediately rushed to the doctor who asked us to get a biopsy and PET scan done. And in that, the new diagnosis was made.”He further revealed that while the cancer was previously limited to her mouth, it has now spread to multiple organs, including the lungs, bones, and areas near the heart and liver. Nasreen is presently undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy under the care of the same doctor recommended by actor Tannishtha Chatterjee. Since the cancer has spread extensively, surgery is no longer an option this time.Sharib also opened up about the immense financial burden of the treatment. “Main zyada se zyada samay uske saath bitata hun par mujhe paise bhi kamane hain as the expenses now are exorbitant. I need more work so that I can afford to pay my wife’s medical bills as even my insurance can’t cover the amount this treatment costs,” he says.The actor admitted that, at the moment, his priority is not the quality of projects but simply getting enough work to manage the expenses. “I can’t afford to say no to any work right now as even last year didn’t go well financially for me, and this year has started on this note. I am looking out for more and more work, so that I don’t have to think about the cost of the treatment my wife needs. We are looking at doing target therapy post the current treatment regime, and it’s going to be very expensive. I am hoping to be able to afford it on my own,” he says.Speaking about how their children are coping with the situation, Sharib shared that both he and Nasreen sat down with them to explain everything honestly. “We both explained the situation to the kids together. Our son is a bit older and he understands the gravity of the situation, but due to this cancer, I feel they both matured before their time. They have seen our struggle since 2018, so it would have impacted them too, but a lot of things they don’t even tell us thinking of our situation.”For now, the actor says he is focusing on staying emotionally strong and optimistic, while hoping his wife overcomes this difficult phase and recovers well.
