Nafisa Ali, Tahira Kashyap: Lessons from Bollywood stars who have struggled with cancer

The actor, who revealed in September that cancer had returned to her body (she had been diagnosed with stage 3 peritoneal and ovarian cancer in 2018), spoke about going back to chemotherapy because the doctors have said surgery isn’t an option at the moment.

The Junoon and Life In A… Metro star kept her sense of humour as she revealed the fallout of the chemo – falling locks. In a series of images on social media, she also put up photos of her grandchildren helping her shave off what remained of her grey mane. She is not the only brave face that’s confronted the disease head on. Here’s a look at some other actors from Bollywood who let their fans in on their journeys.

Sonali Bendre: The actor and model spoke about her cancer journey in 2018, when she explained she had metastatic cancer that affected her spine. She was treated in New York before it went into remission and she returned to showbiz for a second innings. Among her latest hits are Pati Patni Aur Panga and The Broken News.

Manisha Koirala: When she was diagnosed with an advanced stage of ovarian cancer. Refusing to be cowed down, the Saudagar star underwent surgery and chemotherapy. “She knew exactly what chemo combination to give me, and she stood by that,” Manisha was quoted as saying by a Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center blog. “I was responding well to the treatment, but I was gripped by fear. There was one time that I broke down and said, ‘I can’t take it anymore,’ and Dr. Makker actually sat on the floor with me and held my hand, saying, ‘You’re doing so well.’ It really encouraged me during sad and depressed moments,” she added, while speaking of her time at MSKCC. The cancer went into remission in 2013. In 2018, she published a book about her journey, called Healed. Today, she is not only a presence on the big screen, she is also an advocate for early detection.

Murder director Anurag Basu had to contend with a vicious form of blood cancer back in 2004. At the time, he was given two months to live. Fortunately, he beat the odds. "Cancer has taught me a lot of things. I had to stop, listen to my body, heal, and start making changes. In a strange way, it became a time of reckoning. I knew it wasn’t the end of me. I knew I wasn’t going to die. But I also knew, it wasn’t going to be easy," he was quoted as saying by media. You can see his latest movie, Metro…in Dino, on Netflix.

Tahira Kashyap: When the moviemaker/writer found herself diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, she took the brave route ahead, choosing to share her story, posting a photo of her bald head – her “badge of honour” – and when she returned to work once it was in remission, she authored a book called The 12 Commandments of Being a Woman.

Hina Khan: This actor has been openly sharing her journey through the horror of finding out that she had stage three breast cancer to losing her locks, fighting depression and coming out the other side stronger.

Lisa Ray: One of the first Indian actors to face their diagnosis and prognosis head on and reach out to the world to share their journey was Lisa Ray. She was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, in 2009, which she fought while in the spotlight, inspiring others to step forward, offer support, guidance, and that sense of comradery that only comes from meeting someone with the same circumstances as you. Today, Ray uses her blog The Yellow Diaries to advocate for research and support others.