The essence of life is taking it one day at a time: Arjun Sen

Diagnosed with terminal cancer at 32 and given 100 days to live, Arjun Sen survived 20+ surgeries, raised his daughter into a professor, and shaped his battle into a philosophy of resilience.

His book Raising a Father inspired Shoojit Sircar’s I Want to Talk, with Abhishek Bachchan portraying him. Now based in Houston, Arjun returned to his New Alipore home, and spoke to CT about life, cinema, and never giving up. ‘My daughter’s question changed everything’On September 20, 1998, Arjun was diagnosed with laryngeal and early-stage colorectal cancer and told he had less than 100 days to live. For two days he shut himself away until his daughter’s questions pierced through: “Will you die? What is death? What will happen? If you die, how will I have my dad at my wedding?” From then on he marked each day, first on paper and later on a screen.

On February 5, 2024, the count touched 10,000.

The night before, he feared his life might end on the 9,999th day instead of the 100th, but the fear eased when he realised it was Abhishek Bachchan’s birthday. He called the actor, and Abhishek grew emotional, saying, “We were meant to be.”

From Rocky Mountains songs to life lessonsArjun let Shoojit shape his story, while protecting Raka’s privacy. However a few things remained unchanged, for instance their conversation before the marathon.

The way that conversation unfolded was a revelation to both. While Raka realised how lonely her father was, she also proved to be a source of strength to him. This anecdote pushed him to retitle his book to Raising a Father.A full circle moment Arjun Sen’s admiration for Amitabh Bachchan began when he was barely 10. Fridays meant skipping school to catch the first-day shows at Navina cinema. He still remembers watching Muqaddar Ka Sikandar and seeing Amitabh’s character die, only to return twice more, convinced the ending might somehow change. Years later, while discussing his story with Shoojit in Kolkata, he suddenly found himself on a Zoom call with Amitabh, Jaya and Abhishek Bachchan. A few years on, his childhood devotion came full circle when he appeared as a contestant on the game show hosted by Big B, greeted by his idol as ‘Arjun da.’ He says, “If you had asked me ten years ago about my biggest dream, I’d never have imagined being on his show.”

‘Abhishek captured all my nuances perfectly’ Seeing his vulnerability on I Want to Talk posters was tough for Arjun. The one with his daughter felt hopeful, but the bare-bodied image was almost unbearable. “At first I hated it, but my wife put it in the bathroom. I’d cover it with a towel until I realised it was my reality,” he says. On the film: “It was Shoojit’s film, my role was to tell my story.” He says Abhishek Bachchan captured every nuance — “even how I climb stairs.”

Pics: Anindya Saha

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