Cancer survivor and actor Sonali Bendre posted an emotional note on Instagram to mourn Rishi Kapoor’s demise. The veteran actor passed away on April 30 after a two-year battle with leukemia.
Sonali Bendre shared a picture with Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor that was clicked in New York. She remembered how they both battled the “unseen monster” together and kept each other “buoyant through the sadness and pain”. Both Rishi Kapoor and Sonali Bendre underwent treatment in New York.
We have lost two celebrities in quick succession to cancer. Despite this, cancer is no longer a death sentence. More and more people are surviving cancer. You just need positive energy to fight cancer. Fight it and you will come out as a winner.
We take a look at celebrities who battled cancer and came out victorious.
Sonali Bendre
In July 2019, Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre Behl announced on social media that she had been diagnosed with ‘high-grade cancer’. The news sent shock-waves through the industry, with fans and friends wishing her a speedy recovery. Unlike other stars who opted to take on a personal fight with the aliment, Sonali made sure to share her struggles with the online world by sharing updates and also some motivating and inspiring messages of hope and determination. From sharing photos of herself going bald during her treatment, to her days spent with friends and family, she did it all and proved to be a true inspiration for her fans.
Yuvraj Singh
Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh on Wednesday condoled the demise of actor Irrfan Khan. The cricketer said he knew that Irrfan khan had fought till the end and he is in a better place now.
“I know the journey I know the pain and I know he fought till the end some are lucky to survive some don’t I’m sure you are in a better place now Irfan Khan my condolence to your family. May his soul RIP,” Yuvraj tweeted.
In 2011, the Punjab cricketer, who played in all forms of the game, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his left lung and underwent chemotherapy treatment in the United States. After winning his battle with cancer, he made his comeback in the Indian team in a Twenty20 match against New Zealand shortly before the 2012 World T20.
After he bounced back from cancer, the cricketer has been stressing on the need for detecting cancer at an early stage, adding it paves the way for curing the disease. The World Cup hero also said that he could be cured as the cancer was found early. In 2013, Yuvraj established a foundation called ‘YouWeCan’ through which he’s trying to create awareness about cancer and fight the stigma attached to it.
Manisha Koirala
Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala, who is known for her stellar performance in films like Dil Se, Mann, 1942 A Love Story, Akele Hum Akele Tum among others, is one of the cancer survivors who is now inspiring people suffering from the disease with her story. She was in Kathmandu when she first learnt that she has been diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer. She underwent treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the US.
Anurag Basu
Most of us would identify Anurag Basu as the director of Barfi. However, there is another side of him which many don’t know. In 2004, the famed director suffered from acute promyelocytic leukemia – a type of blood cancer. The doctors gave him 2 months to live when he was diagnosed during the filming of ‘Tumsa Nahin Dekha’. The verdict failed to shake him who completed the film from his hospital bed. He wrote scripts for ‘Life in a Metro’ and ‘Gangster’ during this time and put up a brave face.
“The first step to fight cancer is to be happy. I feel when it comes to fighting cancer, 50 per cent cure can be attributed to medication and another 50 per cent to will power.
“One should set small aims to overcome such a disease. For example, when I was admitted in Tata Memorial, I was unable to walk in my initial days of treatment. I set myself small goals of walking to a chair in the room and gradually increased that to walking across my room. These goals kept me going and built my confidence,” he said.
Tahira Kashyap
Writer-director and Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana’s wife Tahira Kashyap in 2019 documented her journey battling cancer on social media. From sharing a series of photographs of herself showing how chemotherapy affected her to talking about the change in her attitude towards life due to the disease, Tahira on Saturday took to Instagram to open up about her struggles on being a cancer patient.
Dedicating her post “to women of all shapes and sizes and to all those posts I get when they fret losing their hair during or after chemotherapy”, she wrote, “I am hoping there is a change in the perception of that one perfect flavour that we have always had.”
