Tannishtha Chatterjee has revealed she continued directing her feature Full Plate while undergoing treatment for stage 4 oligometastatic cancer, as the film readies its world premiere at this year’s Busan International Film Festival. In a recent post, the actor-filmmaker said she received the diagnosis about eight months ago and kept working through postproduction, describing the project as an anchor during a difficult period.
Full Plate, led by Kirti Kulhari with Sharib Hashmi, Monica Dogra, and Indraneil Sengupta, follows Amreen, a Muslim woman who becomes her family’s breadwinner through cooking after her husband is injured. Festival materials describe workplace hurdles and religious prejudice shaping her path before her talent wins recognition. The premiere positions Chatterjee back on a platform that previously hosted her debut feature as director.
Chatterjee’s disclosure prompted supportive messages from colleagues and audiences, while health reports and interviews have amplified public understanding of oligometastatic disease and the need for coordinated oncology care. She has written about the personal strain of balancing treatment with caregiving responsibilities, noting that creative work and music helped her cope.
The filmmaker, known internationally for performances in independent cinema, frames Full Plate as a community effort completed under tight resources. Public posts and coverage highlight that she trimmed her hair amid chemotherapy and pushed to finish the cut in time for the festival. With Kulhari’s portrayal of Amreen now drawing pre-premiere attention, Busan marks the start of the film’s run and a test of its cross-border resonance.
Variety reported that Chatterjee’s timeline overlapped with the final stages of the film, underscoring the degree to which her treatment and creative process intersected. The festival listing outlines a character study rooted in labor, faith, and food, themes that could travel beyond language and region as the film seeks distribution after its Asian launch.
