Mumbai: Tata Trusts have launched a film using a refreshing new insight that links cooking to self-care in an attempt to nudge women to reimagine their priorities and make breast cancer screening a part of their routine. Drawing inspiration from the meticulous care that women put into addressing lumps in the food they prepare, the film encourages women to check their breast for lumps with the same attentiveness and if found, to seek medical attention. Featuring renowned chef and Padma Shri recipient Sanjeev Kapoor, the social awareness film seamlessly transitions from a cooking lesson to a meaningful conversation on embracing self-care and raising awareness on the early detection of breast cancer.

Through a social experiment, the film takes the audience on an unexpected journey, with ‘gaanths’ (lumps) in special dishes disrupting the cooking experience and serving as a surprising metaphor. It prompts women to understand the need for conducting regular breast self-examinations and checking for any lumps or abnormalities that could potentially be cancerous. By showcasing breast screening as a form of self-care that should come naturally to women, the film inspires and empowers them to take proactive steps for early detection of breast cancer that can save lives.  

Through the film ‘Gaanth Pe Dhyan’ (‘Focus on the Lump’), the Trusts hope to spark meaningful, important conversations on breast cancer awareness. Discussing the idea behind the campaign, Tata Trusts head of brand and marketing communications Deepshikha Surendran said, “There is a need to promote health consciousness amongst women and when it comes to breast cancer, one can flip the ratio by encouraging the simple act of breast self-examination, potentially saving lives. By building our narrative around women and their love for cooking, we hope to nudge a deep behaviour change. The insight is universal and the creative execution simple and engaging. We do hope that this public health awareness film encourages women across the country to include self-checks and screenings as a regular part of their routines.”

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The film uniquely showcases a social experiment unfolded, inspired by on-ground culinary demonstrations that Tata Trusts organized across several Indian states, which deeply resonated with women across socio-economic segments. These events offered a creative visualization of the central metaphor, using ‘lumps’, a frequent, bothersome part of food preparation, to draw attention to women’s health and breast self-examination.

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor added, “Cooking for loved ones is an act of care and love – and women often prepare dishes with great attention to detail, particularly to get rid of unwanted lumps. Unfortunately, most women don’t extend such love and care to their own bodies and tend to overlook lumps in their breast. It’s incredibly important to encourage them to embrace self-examinations and check-ups – and it was interesting to shed light on this conversation by bringing two fundamental aspects of life, food and health, together.”

As one of India’s most eminent chefs and a custodian of India’s culinary landscape, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor with his remarkable ability to reach and engage an audience of women viewers across Indian households, was the natural choice for driving this important message and rallying call to action.

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The film was conceptualized and executed by Basta Films for the Tata Trusts. The producer Mahima Sharma added, “As a breast cancer survivor myself, Gaanth Pe Dhyan allowed me to champion the cause of early detection, which has played a crucial role in my life. The intent of this film is to address the ignorance among women, and the analogy of ‘lumps in food’ hits the bull’s eye. The film communicates that early detection is the first big win in the fight against cancer. It not only raises awareness but also generates feelings of hope, positivity, and strength.”

This social awareness film can be seen across the Tata Trusts’ social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Sharechat, and Facebook. ‘Gaanth Pe Dhyan’ is a part of a broader ‘Kaise Ka Cancer’ campaign by the Tata Trusts, to raise awareness, close the care gap, unite voices, and encourage action. The ‘Kaise Ka Cancer’ campaign involved a three-film series exploring the overwhelming questions and emotions that cancer patients and their families experience post-diagnosis. Tata Trusts are committed to reducing the cancer burden in the country by offering compassionate and quality cancer care in India.

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