Mumbai, September 23, 2026: Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi celebrated an emotional milestone this week as Sahara Shah, whom he has supported since she was a small child battling cancer, signed her first film as a lead actress.
Sahara, now 22, is cancer-free and has completed aviation training. At the Cancer Patients Aid Association's Cancer Rose Day event in Mumbai on Tuesday, she surprised Oberoi by revealing that she was stepping into acting with a leading role in a Nepali film.
The film has been identified as 26 Crore and is expected to release next year.
For Oberoi, the announcement marked a striking transformation from the first time he encountered Sahara as a child undergoing chemotherapy to seeing her begin professional careers in aviation and entertainment.
Sahara Shah Signs Nepali Film 26 Crore
Sahara formally signed an agreement for 26 Crore at the event at Taj Lands End in Mumbai.
Nepali publication Ratopati reported that the agreement was signed between Sahara and producer Subash Bhusal, with Oberoi present for the announcement.
The film will be written and directed by Bikash Subedi and will have a social theme.
According to Subedi, Sahara was selected through an audition. He said the production was looking for an actress with a Hindi accent to suit the story.
Sahara has also studied acting at Anupam Kher's Actor Prepares Acting Academy.
‘I Wanted to Take Your Blessing’
Before signing the film, Sahara revealed the career move to Oberoi on stage.
She told him that she had completed her aviation training and then disclosed that she had been selected to play the lead in a Nepali film.
“I’m playing a lead actress in a film. It’s a Nepali film. I haven’t signed yet. I wanted to take your blessing,” Sahara said.
She described Oberoi as a major influence on her life and said she had wanted to follow in his footsteps since childhood.
Sahara also credited him with encouraging her ambitions in acting, dancing and other areas.
“You’ve always supported me when it came to acting, dancing, and whatever I wanted to do,” she said.
She referred to Oberoi as “dada” while speaking about the role he had played in her life.
From Childhood Cancer to a New Career
Sahara's journey gives the film announcement particular significance.
Oberoi first became involved in supporting her when she was approximately two-and-a-half years old and undergoing treatment for cancer.
His support was connected with the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA), an organisation that works with cancer patients, including people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Sahara subsequently recovered from the disease and is now cancer-free.
Alongside her interest in acting, she pursued aviation and has completed her training. She told Oberoi at the event that she expected to see him in Dubai, referring to the next phase of her aviation journey.
Her progress across health, education, aviation and now acting formed the emotional centre of the Cancer Rose Day event.
Vivek Oberoi: ‘I’m Crying With Pride’
Oberoi became visibly emotional while recalling Sahara as a young cancer patient.
Speaking to ANI, he said:
“I can’t tell you how happy I am. I’m crying with pride.”
He recalled seeing Sahara at two-and-a-half years old while she was undergoing chemotherapy and remembered her holding his finger.
“The way she held my finger, I knew she would win,” Oberoi said.
He said he had prayed for her regularly during her illness and expressed pride that she was now cancer-free and seeing the results of her efforts.
‘Never Forget You’re a Winner’
Oberoi also offered Sahara advice as she began her acting career.
“This is a very proud moment for me. I want you to fly high in your career, and do very well in films. I feel so happy. God bless you, beta,” he told her.
He reminded Sahara of what she had already overcome, telling her: “Never forget you’re a winner.”
Oberoi also encouraged her to remain grateful for her journey and, once successful and financially independent, create opportunities for other people.
The moment ended with Oberoi embracing Sahara and applauding as she signed her first film agreement on stage.
Film Announcement Becomes a Birthday Surprise
Sahara presented the career announcement as a surprise connected with Oberoi's 50th birthday, which he celebrated on September 3.
She said the gesture felt small compared with the support she had received from him.
Oberoi, meanwhile, had marked his birthday by committing to support the treatment of 50 more children battling cancer, according to reports from the event.
Sahara's announcement therefore brought together two strands of Oberoi's public life: his acting career and his long association with cancer-support initiatives.
Oberoi Says His Mother Inspired His Work With Cancer Patients
Oberoi has linked his involvement with cancer patients to the influence of his mother.
Speaking at the event, he said he had been inspired by her to help patients, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds.
“I was inspired by my mother and I wanted to support the cancer patients, especially the underprivileged,” he told ANI.
His association with CPAA dates back to 2002, around the beginning of his Bollywood career.
Over the years, he has supported cancer-affected children through treatment as well as education and professional training.
Vivek Oberoi Urges Others to Support Cancer Patients
The actor also used Cancer Rose Day to broaden the conversation beyond celebrity philanthropy.
“Why only Bollywood personalities? Everyone should do this,” Oberoi said.
He argued that financial contributions were only one way to help.
“If you can give money, give money. If not, give your love,” he said.
Oberoi encouraged people to spend time with patients and recalled his mother's practice of visiting seriously ill patients, speaking with them and preparing food for them.
His comments framed Sahara's achievement not simply as a personal family milestone but also as an example of what long-term support for young patients can help make possible.
Who Is Sahara Shah?
Sahara Shah is a 22-year-old cancer survivor who has been supported by Oberoi since early childhood.
She has completed aviation training and has also pursued acting.
Her first leading film role will be in the upcoming Nepali production 26 Crore, written and directed by Bikash Subedi.
While some reports describe Sahara as Oberoi's adopted daughter, other reporting describes Oberoi's relationship with her in terms of long-term guardianship and support through CPAA. What is consistently documented is that Oberoi has supported Sahara since she was a young cancer patient and that the two share a close father-daughter-like bond.
That distinction is useful because the available reports do not provide details of a legal adoption process.
From Cancer Treatment to the Big Screen
Sahara's first film represents more than a conventional entertainment-industry debut.
At two-and-a-half, she was undergoing chemotherapy. At 22, she is cancer-free, has completed aviation training and has now signed as the lead actress of a film.
For Oberoi, who witnessed those different stages of her life, the contrast explains the emotion surrounding the announcement.
For Sahara, 26 Crore begins another chapter — one that brings her into the profession of the man she credits with encouraging her to dream beyond the circumstances of her childhood.
