What do Sonali Bandre Bahl, Lisa Ray and Manisha Koirala all have in common? The answer might surprise you, it’s CANCER. Apart from being award-winning actresses and influencers, all three women are cancer survivors with inspiring stories. They are an
inspiration for people not only in reel but also in real life. We are all well acquainted with Sonali Bendre’s work. Hum Saath Saath Hain and Kal
Ho Na Ho practically framed the present generation’s childhood. Her passion and zeal always made her characters vivacious and cheerful. It must have been tragically ironic then, for her fans to receive news of her cancer diagnosis- something with completely
opposite connotations than joy.
In July 2018, Sonali was diagnosed with metastatic cancer in the fourth stage. There were only 30% chances of survival. Despite the emotional toll of such news, Sonali took to social media to inform her contacts and thousands of fans about her health condition. Her comment section was soon filled with messages of love from her followers.
In a chat session organized by FICCI FLO JAIPUR, the actress shared that she was surprised by the response that she got after posting about her health condition. “It did two things for me. Firstly, I realized that I am not alone and this is rampant. Secondly, it gave me a lot of strength and hope.” Her experience cemented her belief that social media could be a platform she could use to create discussion and awareness about cancer. And it
does influence, Renuka Prasad, a breast cancer survivor, in her interview told the BBC that seeing celebrities open up about “taboo topics” like cancer is a welcome change. “Many patients don’t always get to hear stories about the individuals behind the disease, so when they see people like Sonali Bendre celebrating life. It’s very encouraging and motivating,” she said.
As much as the toll the experience of the illness and all its accompanying lifestyle changes took on Sonali, she never felt alone. Sonali says she is always grateful for the constant company of her family. She was, however, concerned about her son, he was still quite young, but he understood the situation well. Sonali didn’t want him to internalise his feelings, she encouraged him to speak to her, regardless of her condition.
On February 2nd, 2019 Sonali took to social media to announce that she was well enough to return to work, to the joy of her fans. Sonali’s spirit of altruism always shines. Her Twitter handle shows that during the pandemic she helped Cuddle Foundation to raise awareness about the reality of childhood cancer and also sponsored a child’s nutritionist.
Our second Superwoman is Indian–Canadian actress, Lisa Ray. To most common people like ourselves, Lisa’s life and strength are nothing sort of remarkable. Her life has always been full of ups & downs but she has repeatedly refused to bow before her problems. Before she began her career in the industry, she and her family faced great difficulty. Her parents met with an accident which left her mother unable to walk. Lisa persevered
through her family conditions and worked to become a supermodel and eventually an actress, debuting in Bollywood in 2001 with Kasoor.
In 2009, Lisa was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer affecting the plasma cells. During an interaction with the media at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2020, she spoke about her experience of dealing with cancer. She said she had disappeared, stopped taking calls, stopped accepting modelling offers and locked herself in her room with piles of books. But the love and support she received from people around the world,
particularly from India motivated her and helped her in her fight against myeloma. In 2019, Lisa wrote the book “Close to the Bone”. Describing her reason behind writing the book she says’ “I believe I am a writer at heart but it was my diagnosis that compelled me to write.” As multiple myeloma is an incurable disease, Ray is not completely cured of the disease. Lisa has dedicated herself to creating awareness and fundraising for the
disease over the last few years. In 2015, she launched a campaign – Beauty Give Back in Canada. The campaign addresses the cancer blues- the emotional fallout from cancer and its treatment
Her health condition is a part of her life, but Lisa has chosen to use it for good-spreading awareness has become part of her life too. She sees it as paying the world back, as so many people helped her during the treatment.
Her story helps many people who are fighting against cancer, one of them is famous actress Manisha Koirala, our final Superwoman.
‘Dil Se’ actress Manisha Koirala is known for her acting, beauty and also for her royal family background. But there is much more to Manisha’s star-studded image, something more that we should not forget about her. Manisha is also an inspiration to us all, teaching us to persevere regardless of our circumstances. She is courageous beyond most people’s capacity. We have seen this in her journey as a cancer survivor. She was
diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012, at the age of 42.
Talking about her coping strategies in her interview with PTI, she stated that when she was sick, she was searching for positive stories. But she couldn’t find many stories that gave her hope in her fight with cancer. Then she found the success stories of Lisa Ray and cricketer Yuvraj Singh. “So I decided that when I recover, I will share my story with people. I also believe that sharing helps lower the burden from your head and heart”, she
said. She has since written a book “Healed: How Cancer Gave Me A New Life”. She inspires people who are battling cancer not only through her book but also through her social media handle. She often posts about trekking on the mountains of Nepal, her home country. She is associated with the ImPaCCT Foundation which ensures that every child with cancer coming to Tata Memorial Hospital, receives treatment and other
support regardless of the family background and financial status.
The fight with cancer is never easy, it takes a toll physically, emotionally and financially. The Her-World Team stands with and salutes all three women. There are millions of such superwomen, fighting their fights with the Big C. We, as their family, friends and loved ones, must all support them in their journey.
This Article is Modified By Jaya Narayan
