Sonali Bendre Instagrammed this photo on Friendship Day (courtesy iamsonalibendre)
Highlights
- Sonali shared a photo with Sussanne and Gayatri from New York
- Sussanne and Gayatri have joined her in the Big Apple
- Sonali Bendre is currently in New York for treatment
Sonali Bendre, battling cancer in New York, has no plans to not celebrate Friendship Day, especially when she's been joined by her best friends Sussanne Khan and Gayatri Joshi. On Sunday, Sonali shared a sneak peek of her Friendship Day celebrations with a new Instagram post, which also came with the foot-note: "Nowadays I spend far less time getting ready because I don't have to fuss over my hair! #BaldIsBeautiful #FindThePositive #OneDayAtATime." Sonali is currently undergoing treatment for metastatic cancer in the Big Apple and appears to have begun with chemotherapy sessions. The 43-year-old actress has been keeping her fans and well-wishers updated with powerful posts on social media and Sunday's post is just one such.
"This is me. And in this moment, I am really happy. People give me strange looks when I say that now, but it's true and I'll tell you why. I am now paying attention to every moment, looking for every opportunity to find joy and #SwitchOnTheSunshine. Yes, there are moments of pain and low energy, but I am doing what I like, spending time with people I love, and feeling very loved and happy," read an excerpt from Sonali Bendre's post.
In her post, she also revealed that Sussanne and Gayatri flew into New York just to be with her on the special day. "I am extremely grateful to my friends, my pillars of strength, who at a moment's notice, arrived to be with me and help me through this. In between their busy schedules they find time to visit, call, message, FaceTime... basically never leaving a moment for me to feel alone. Thank you for showing me what true friendship is. #HappyFriendshipDay, ladies. Blessed to have you all in my life (including the ones not in the picture... You know who you are)."
While Sonali Bendre, Sussanne Khan and Gayatri Joshi are setting friendship goals, the man behind the camera is none other than Hrithik Roshan:
This is me. And in this moment, I am really happy. People give me strange looks when I say that now, but it's true and I'll tell you why. I am now paying attention to every moment, looking for every opportunity to find joy and #SwitchOnTheSunshine. Yes, there are moments of pain and low energy, but I am doing what I like, spending time with people I love, and feeling very loved and happy. I am extremely grateful to my friends, my pillars of strength, who at a moment's notice, arrived to be with me and help me through this. In between their busy schedules they find time to visit, call, message, FaceTime... basically never leaving a moment for me to feel alone. Thank you for showing me what true friendship is. #HappyFriendshipDay, ladies. Blessed to have you all in my life (including the ones not in the picture... You know who you are) @gayatrioberoi @suzkr P.S. Nowadays I spend far less time getting ready because I don't have to fuss over my hair! #BaldIsBeautiful #FindThePositive #OneDayAtATime Picture credit: @hrithikroshan
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Last week, Sonali's filmmaker husband Goldie Behl tweeted to say that the actress is stable and doing fine with the treatment.
Last month, Sonali's post about "challenges" and "victories" revealed that she sported shorter hair.
In the words of my favourite author Isabel Allende, "We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome." The outpouring of love I've received in the last few days has been so overwhelming... and I'm especially grateful to those of you who shared stories of your experiences in dealing with cancer, whether it was your own or of loved ones. Your stories have given me an extra dosage of strength and courage, and more importantly, the knowledge that I'm not alone. Each day comes with its own challenges and victories and so for now, I'm taking this #OneDayAtATime. The only thing I'm trying to be consistent about is maintaining a positive outlook... literally #SwitchOnTheSunshine - it's my way of dealing with this. Sharing my journey is also part of this process... I can only hope it reminds you that all is not lost and that someone, somewhere understands what you're going through. Thank you @tomoarakawa for making this a chic transition from long to short!
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She followed it up with a post about how maturely her 12-year-old son Ranveer has been dealing with her medical condition:
From the moment he was born 12 years, 11 months and 8 days ago, my amazing @rockbehl took ownership of my heart. From then on, his happiness and wellbeing have been the centre of anything @goldiebehl and I ever did. And so, when the Big C reared its ugly head, our biggest dilemma was what and how we were going to tell him. As much as we wanted to protect him, we knew it was important to tell him the full facts. We've always been open and honest with him and this time it wasn't going to be different. He took the news so maturely... and instantly became a source of strength and positivity for me. In some situations now, he even reverses roles and takes on being the parent, reminding me of things I need to do! I believe that it's imperative to keep kids involved in a situation like this. They are a lot more resilient than we give them credit for. It's important to spend time with them and include them, rather than make them wait on the side-lines, not being told yet instinctively knowing everything. In our effort to protect them from the pain and realities of life, we might end up doing the opposite. I'm spending time with Ranveer right now, while he's on summer vacation. His madness and shenanigans help me #SwitchOnTheSunshine. And today, we derive strength from each other #OneDayAtATime
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The news of Sonali being diagnosed with cancer rattled Bollywood and Sonali's huge fan-following when she wrote in a lengthy note that she's flown to in New York for treatment. "I am currently undergoing a course of treatment in New York. We remain optimistic and I am determined to fight every step of the way. What has helped has been the immense outpouring of love and support I've received over the past few days, for which I am very grateful."
Sometimes, when you least expect it, life throws you a curveball. I have recently been diagnosed with a high grade cancer that has metastised, which we frankly did not see coming. A niggling pain led to some tests, which led to this unexpected diagnosis. My family and close friends have rallied around me, providing the best support system that anyone can ask for. I am very blessed and thankful for each of them. There is no better way to tackle this, than to take swift and immediate action. And so, as advised by my doctors, I am currently undergoing a course of treatment in New York. We remain optimistic and I am determined to fight every step of the way. What has helped has been the immense outpouring of love and support I've received over the past few days, for which I am very grateful. I'm taking this battle head on, knowing I have the strength of my family and friends behind me.
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On Friendship Day, we wish Sonali Bendre speedy recovery and good health. In Bollywood, She has worked with the three Khans and is best known for films like Sarfarosh, Hum Saath Saath Hain and Duplicate. She was seen in a full length role in Chiranjeevi's 2004 film Shankar Dada MBBS.