Family Man star Sharib Hashmi on wife Nasreen’s sixth cancer relapse: 'I need more work to pay her medical bills'

It has been a particularly painful time for actor Sharib Hashmi and his wife, Nasreen, after they learnt that her cancer had relapsed for the sixth time. Yet, the couple insists they are trying to stay positive, with Sharib calling his wife a true fighter. However, he acknowledges that the journey is long and arduous, as the cancer has now spread all over the body.

The diagnosis was first made in August 2018, when Nasreen was found to have mouth cancer. She underwent five surgeries to remove tumours. After remaining in remission since her last surgery in September 2024, the cancer returned again in February this year.

As Sharib told Hindustan Times, the family initially assumed her sudden cough was due to poor AQI. “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 shares, adding that earlier the cancer was just in the mouth, but now it has spread to the lungs, bones and even near the heart and liver.

Nasreen is currently undergoing immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Sharib revealed that surgery is no longer an option due to the spread of the cancer. He also spoke about the financial strain it has placed on him.

“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, adding that he cannot afford to say no to work right now, as last year was difficult for him financially. He mentioned that he is seeking more work so that he doesn’t have to think about the cost of treatment.

In another recent interview with Hauterrfly, the couple opened up about the repeated relapses and emotional battles they have faced over the years. Recalling the day of her diagnosis, Nasreen shared that Sharib was supposed to go out for lunch with the team of The Family Man when her biopsy report arrived.

“I remember returning home with the report while he was on his way to a lunch. I asked him if it was important for him to go, and he said the entire Family Man team was meeting. So I told him to go and said we would talk once he came back,” she said.

“When he came home, I told him what the report said, and he broke down. I was the one consoling him, telling him not to worry and that everything would be fine. He was very shaken,” Nasreen said.

Sharib added that she became everyone’s strength, even though she was the one who needed it most. “Her cancer is extremely aggressive, which is why it keeps relapsing. But despite that, she has dealt with it with immense courage. She fights so strongly that all of us have become fighters alongside her,” he said.

The couple spoke warmly about each other’s support throughout the long treatment journey. Nasreen shared how Sharib never left her side during hospital visits. “No matter how busy he was or whether he had a shoot, he somehow always managed to reach the hospital. From the time we got admitted till discharge, he would sit there with his bag and refuse to move,” she said.

She added that his presence gave her comfort during the most difficult periods of treatment, even as the relapses continued every one-and-a-half years, creating a massive financial strain. Praising him for managing the expenses without borrowing money, she added, “He managed my entire treatment without borrowing even a single rupee from anyone, and that means a lot to me.”

Sharib and Nasreen tied the knot on December 27, 2003, and are parents to two children, a daughter and a son.