On World Cancer Day 2021, we look at brave Bollywood celebs who battled the deadly C-word!

New Delhi: Although Bollywood celebrities live a lavish life, they are not immune to illnesses and hardships. Many actors have been vocal about their struggles with mental and physical health issues they have faced behind the camera.

On World Cancer Day (February 4), we take a moment to honour the brave Bollywood celebs that fought cancer and showed us how to stay positive in the bleakest times.

Irrfan Khan:

In 2018, the beloved actor had announced to fans that he had been diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Cancer. Irrfan humbly asked fans and media to give him space to process the huge news. After initial treatment, Irrfan had flown to London to seek chemotherapy for the rare disease but kept fans updated on his health. He fought a two-year battle against cancer but unfortunately, died on April 29, 2020, at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.

Rishi Kapoor:

The veteran Bollywood star, Rishi Kapoor suffered from Leukemia. He was being treated in New York for close to 11 months and had been vocal about his illness. However, in 2020, the actor was admitted to Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital and breathed his last on April 30, 2020, Thursday at 8.45 am. 

Sonali Bendre:

The 90s actress was diagnosed with metastatic cancer in 2018. Her journey was a painful one as she went through intense treatment in New York. However, even in her lowest moment, she stayed positive and shared pictures herself during every stage of treatment. Ever since the treatment, Sonali is doing well and continues to spread cancer awareness online.

Anurag Basu:

The talented director, Anurag Basu battled Leukemia which is a form of blood cancer. The Barfi director was diagnosed with the disease in 2004 and underwent 3 years of chemotherapy before making a full recovery. He has talked about his experience in many interviews.

Manisha Koirala:

Indian actress, Manisha Koirala is a brave survivor of a deadly Stage IV Ovarian Cancer. She was diagnosed with the disease in 2012 and tirelessly fought the illness in New York for months before triumphing over it. After her treatment, she released her memoir titled ‘Healed: How Cancer Gave Me A New Life’, in which she describes how she rebuilt her life post such a challenging experience.

Lisa Ray: 

The Four More Shots actress was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, another type of rare blood cancer in 2009. Soon after, she started The Yellow Diaries, a blog that documented her experiences in living with cancer. Ray had to go through a year of treatment and stem cell replacement before she was finally cancer-free. However, she mentioned that her cancer cannot be cured and only treated.

Tahira Kashyap Khurrana: 

Wife of actor Ayushmann Khurrana, famous author Tahira Kashyap was faced with Stage 0 Breast Cancer in 2018. She had taken to Instagram to document her fight against cancer to inspire other cancer patients and spread awareness about the disease. The director went through a mastectomy procedure to get rid of her cancer and has since been healthy.