Shaunak Sen documents cancer battle linked to pollution

Indian filmmaker Shaunak Sen, who received an Oscar nomination in 2023 for ‘All That Breathes’, is documenting his own battle with cancer. Sen stated that the diagnosis made him realize he was experiencing the same risks as the birds he previously filmed in New Delhi, who suffer from intense pollution.

Sen noted that oncologists often link rising cancer rates to environmental factors, toxins, and air pollution. New Delhi is frequently ranked among the world's most polluted cities due to industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, and seasonal agricultural burning. A 2024 study in The Lancet reported that 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were linked to air pollution.

To process the diagnosis, Sen is creating a new documentary. Rather than making a purely introspective film, he has chosen to center the script on his surgeon.