Mahima Chaudhry to Khloe Kardashian: Bollywood and Hollywood stars who have spoken about their battle with cancer

Cancer is a tough word to hear … for anyone. Somehow we think of it as a death knell, even with all the modern medical technology we have made over the years. It’s the same for celebrities who get the diagnosis – they must wade through the depths of despair before they can start looking ahead again. Recently, Bollywood actress Mahima Chaudhry revealed her fight with breast cancer.

Chaudhry, who made her debut in Bollywood alongside Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Pardes’, spoke about her diagnosis with breast cancer. The video was shared by fellow actor Anupam Kher. In it, she recalls crying as she heard the news and when the oncologist called for chemotherapy. “When I started crying, my sister reprimanded me for behaving like a 17th century woman. We are just so terrified of the word ‘cancer’. I didn’t share it with my parents because they are so vulnerable. But if you catch it early, it’s treatable,” she says.

Sanjay Dutt, who shuttles between Dubai and Mumbai, is one of the biggest cancer warriors. In October 2020, he took to his social media post revealing his painful diagnosis and urged his fans to pray for his well-being. He soon bounced back with a vengeance and is now leading an active, full life filled with blockbusters and personal milestones with his children.

Telugu actress Hamsa Nandini recently disclosed her a Grade III Invasive Carcinoma (breast cancer). She isn’t alone – in 2020, says the World Health Organisation, about 2.3 million women were diagnosed this this type of cancer. The 34-year-old, known for films Atharintiki Dharedi’ and ‘Soggade Chinni Nayana’, revealed on Monday her battle, which begun four months ago after discovering a tiny lump in her breast.

American reality TV star Khloe Kardashian was forced to go under the knife when she found a mole that was cancerous. She wrote in a post on her app and website back in 2016 about the incident. She said: “I'm writing this post with the hope that my story can get some of you in to see your doctor if you notice something wrong with your skin.” At the time, she had to have eight inches of skin removed. “It was definitely painful because it was a lot of skin … but most of the time, the removals haven't been that bad,” had said.

When actors take a break from the limelight, many don’t give it a second thought, but fans of Sonali Bendre were in for a shock when she revealed that her time-out was caused by high grade metastatic cancer. When she did talk about her diagnosis, she kept it raw and real, going so far as to share a photo of herself bald – due to the treatment. She bounced back brilliantly and made her comeback in acting with the riveting web series 'Broken News' on Zee5.

‘Les Miserables’ Hugh Jackman has fought many on-screen fights, including as ‘Wolverine’ in the X-Men series, but the real battlefield was off-the-set. He developed basal cell carcinoma, or skin cancer, in 2013, and he used his star power to raise awareness on the importance of sunscreen. “ “The doctors saw something that was a little irregular, so they took a biopsy and they’re getting it checked,” he wrote in a post on Instagram. “If by posting about this I remind one person to go see their dermatologist, I’m happy.”

Director and writer Tahira Kashyap, who is married to ‘Article 15’ star Ayushmann Khurana, wasn’t coy when she was diagnosed; she decided to document it to inspire the world.

Another well-known filmmaker Anurag Basu was once diagnosed with leukaemia – he beat the disease and has often spoken about how it influenced his art.

Actor Manisha Koirala was dealt quite a blow when she found out that she had ovarian cancer back in 2012. She underwent a painful bout of chemotherapy in New York, writing about her everyday struggles.

Meet the original wonder woman Lisa Ray. Fearless, she not only discussed her cancer diagnosis but posted pictures and raised awareness about her condition too. Lisa Ray was among the first few celebrities to openly discuss her cancer diagnosis. Unlike most celebrities at the time, Lisa was quite vocal about her illness and spoke about her battle with cancer. We hear she's currently living with her family in Dubai.

‘Life In A ... Metro’ star Nafisa Ali has opened up about her ongoing struggle with leukoderma, a type of skin disorder characterised by discoloured patches, which could possibly be an after-effect of extensive chemotherapy through her media interviews and social media. The actress is one of the few celebrities who battled cancer while maintaining a positive attitude. The veteran performer remained active on social media, keeping her followers up to date on her recovery. She even shared a photo of herself smiling during one of her chemotherapy treatments.

In an Instagram post, Hrithik Roshan revealed that his father Rakesh Roshan had been diagnosed with throat cancer. The actor went on to discuss Roshan's cancer diagnosis in the post. Roshan was diagnosed with an early-stage squamous cell cancer of the throat, it was discovered.