Sonali Bendre returned to Mumbai in December (Image courtesy iamsonalibendre)
Highlights
- "Just the mere mention of the C word brings dread in the hearts": Sonali
- "We fear it so much that we'd rather not talk about it," she added
- "I urge you all to take the time to understand it," she wrote
On World Cancer Day, actress Sonali Bendre, a cancer survivor, shared a powerful message on social media about battling the disease with "diligence" and also added that one should "never giving up, no matter what". The 44-year-old actress, who underwent treatment for metastatic cancer for several months in New York, wrote a lengthy note on social media wherein she also shared her experience of dealing with the disease. "World Cancer Day, who would have thought it would become such a thing... but it has! And just the mere mention of the C word brings dread in the hearts of anyone who hears it. We fear it so much that we'd rather not talk about it, which is why it's important to have a day where we pull out the band aid and help us deal with this disease," read an excerpt from Sonali's post.
Sonali added that initially she too was "scared" when she was diagnosed with cancer but eventually realised that it wouldn't help her in any way. "I was scared too, but soon realised that burying my head in the sand was not the way to deal with this. And so... with the little experience I have had, I urge you all to take the time to understand it," she said.
In her post, Sonali wrote that the battle against cancer is more than just being called a "fighter or a survivor". The disease requires awareness and most importantly it's "about living everyday". "There's more to cancer than being emotional or weak or even being called a fighter or a survivor. It requires you to study it, find out what works for you and to be diligent about your treatment. It requires days of strongly believing in oneself, of knowing that tomorrow will be better than today. It is not a fight against negative thoughts. It's taking a stand to not give in, no matter what. Most importantly, it is about living everyday, and not just surviving. Just taking it #OneDayAtATime makes it easier to #SwitchOnTheSunshine,"she wrote.
In July last year, Sonali Bendre revealed she was diagnosed with metastatic cancer in a post on social media. After months of treatment and undergoing chemotherapy sessions, Sonali touched down in Mumbai in December last year.
On Saturday, Sonali Bendre shared a post on Instagram in which she revealed that she is back on sets after a "major sabbatical". Sonali shared a photo and a video of herself from the first day at shoot and wrote: "Being back on a set after a major sabbatical - one that has been testing in many ways on so many levels - is a surreal feeling. After all this, I sort of feel an additional sense of purpose and meaning and I'm so grateful to be back in action."
Sonali Bendre was last seen in a full-fledged role in Chiranjeevi's 2004 film Shankar Dada MBBS. In Bollywood, she is best known for starring in films such as Sarfarosh, Duplicate and Hum Saath-Saath Haiin. Sonali is married to filmmaker Goldie Behl and Ranveer is the couple's only child.