Survivor Stories: Kathak Dancer Alaknanda Dasgupta’s Battle with Ovarian Cancer

Alaknanda Dasgupta’s life has centred around her one true passion, Kathak, for the previous two decades. The majority of her time was spent on shows, concerts, performances, and training. In March 2022, she was putting the finishing touches on her dream production “Maharaas: A Celebration of Life,” but she had no idea that her life would soon be thrown into a flurry of medical appointments, hospitals, surgeries, and chemotherapy.

Diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer

Alaknanda Dasgupta is a Kathak Dancer from Noida who has been teaching and performing for over three decades. She is a mother of two and a Brand Ambassador for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan when one day she observed a few changes in her body that concerned her. She was approaching her 50s, in the menopause phase, when she suddenly noticed spotting after her periods, which went on for 10-12 days. After getting checked by a gynaecologist, she was recommended an ultrasound, where a lump was discovered in her left ovary, and doctors insisted her to operate it right now.