Recently, the vibrant city of New Delhi witnessed a poignant yet glamorous celebration of courage and resilience. At the heart of the event was Tahira Kashyap, a director and the wife of renowned Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who took to the runway for the celebrated fashion designer Manish Malhotra’s ‘Namo Bharat’ fashion show. This event was not just about fashion; it was a tribute to the indomitable spirit of women who have fought and survived cancer. Tahira’s three distinct looks during the event profoundly captured the journey of metamorphosis experienced by cancer warriors.
For her first appearance on the runway, Tahira chose to embrace a completely bald look—an empowering statement that challenged and redefined conventional beauty standards. Speaking about her experience, Tahira reflected on her emotional and transformative journey with hair. “My hair journey has been incredibly transformative,” she remarked. “It’s taught me a lot about vanity, beauty, and, most importantly, perception and perspective. It’s shown me how much of what we value can no longer be put into a box.”
These bold statements and her courageous choice to walk the ramp bald resonated with many who have faced similar challenges. Reflecting further, Tahira shared, “I went through three distinct looks when I went bald, losing my hair not by choice, but I chose to embrace the bald look, and I genuinely liked how I looked. It really challenged conventional ideas of beauty, and, to be honest, I felt beautiful in that phase, too.”
Her subsequent appearances on the runway displayed the growth and regeneration of her hair. With a short crop for her second walk and lush, dense locks for her third, Tahira symbolically portrayed the various stages of her healing journey. “As my hair started growing back into a short crop, and eventually became long again, I loved that look just as much. I’ve since chopped it back, and I realise that my hair, in its various stages, has been a reflection of my personal journey,” she explained.
Tahira’s journey began in 2018 when she was diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer. In 2019, she made the brave decision to undergo a mastectomy, a life-saving procedure that marked the beginning of her path to recovery and advocacy.
. Her participation in the ‘Namo Bharat’ show was not just about fashion but also about raising awareness for early detection and cancer prevention. In a candid remark about her reasons for participating, Tahira highlighted, “I believe when you have someone like Manish Malhotra involved, and then the PMO also associated with the project, everything naturally becomes bigger, the scale, the platform, and the message you’re conveying. It amplifies the reach and impact.”
The event featured various star-studded participants, including Sonali Bendre and Hina Khan, who walked alongside Tahira on the ramp in solidarity. The special occasion was dedicated to cancer survivors, to honor their strength and courage and spread the message of hope and resilience. Showstoppers Kartik Aaryan and Triptii Dimri added to the event’s grandeur, further enhancing its message’s reach across audiences.
A significant part of Tahira’s advocacy has been about health awareness, especially breast cancer. Impassioned about spreading this critical message, she shared advice with women about taking their health seriously. “The only advice is early breast cancer detection. If you are talking about breast cancer. Take your body seriously, if there are any changes don’t sit on it. Please reach out to your doctor at the earliest. Keep doing self-examinations and apart from that keep your mental and physical health into consideration,” she urged.
This isn’t Tahira’s first foray into storytelling and expression. Earlier this year, she made her directorial debut with ‘Sharmajee Ki Beti,’ released on Prime Video in June, featuring accomplished actors like Sakshi Tanwar, Divya Dutta, and Saiyami Kher. The film was warmly received by audiences and critics alike. Previously, she had directed the feature film ‘Pinni’ for Flipkart Originals, starring Neena Gupta, further cementing her prowess in engaging audiences with stories that resonate.
Through her participation in Manish Malhotra’s ‘Namo Bharat’ show, Tahira Kashyap not only showcased the evolution of her personal journey through fashion but also provided an empowering message to millions, encouraging perseverance and self-acceptance in the face of adversity.
