World Cancer Day: Rishi Kapoor to Sonali Bendre – Bollywood celebs who fought the brave fight and emerged stronger than ever

Behind the glitzy and glamorous façade, Bollywood’s biggest stars have had their fair share of ups and downs. These stars, who enjoy immense popularity and command a large fan-following have time and again proved to be role-models to many by opening up about their struggles and personal battles. Over the past years, some of the biggest stars in B-town decided to come out and declare war against cancer and share their stories about combating the illness with courage and coming out victorious.

As we mark the World Cancer Day today on February 4, we take a look at actors who battled cancer and came out victorious.

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, finally returned home to Mumbai on September 10, after months of treatment in New York City. "Back home... after 11 months 11 days. Thank you all,” The actor said as he touched down in the city in the early hours of the morning. Rishi opened up about his battle with the big C in July and revealed that he had been seeking treatment for about nine months and that the whole process would go on for about 11 months. He also mentioned that he was being treated with chemotherapy to eliminate the chances the ailment returning.

Apart from opening up about his brave fight, the actor also shared his eagerness to eat home-cooked food, celebrate various festivals and possibly even get back to work.

Actor Irrfan Khan shocked fans when he announced in a social media post that he was battling neuroendocrine cancer. Requesting fans and the media to grant him some privacy during the trying times, he reportedly jetted out to London to seek treatment that involved 6 cycles of chemo. During his year-long battle, the actor bravely spoke up about his condition and shared his newfound views on life and everything in between. Refusing to let the illness get the better of him, he was back with a bang and immediately got cracking on his highly anticipated film ‘Angrezi Medium’. Although the star has been maintaining a low profile in social events, he has been going about pursuing his passion.

Last July, Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre Behl announced on social media that she had been diagnosed with 'high-grade cancer'. The news sent shock-waves through the industry, with fans and friends wishing her a speedy recovery. Unlike other stars who opted to take on a personal fight with the aliment, Sonali made sure to share her struggles with the online world by sharing updates and also some motivating and inspiring messages of hope and determination. From sharing photos of herself going bald during her treatment, to her days spent with friends and family, she did it all and proved to be a true inspiration for her fans.

Ayushmann Khurrana's director wife, Tahira Kashyap also opted to share her fight with Cancer on her social media handle. Taking to Instagram, she shared that she had been diagnosed with Stage 0 breast cancer and was seeking treatment for the same. “This obstacle has given me a new definition of life. Respect its unpredictability and have the faith and courage to be the hero of your own drama of life. The invincible human spirit is God-like, gives you the courage to endure and the will to revive. There is nothing that human spirit can’t do,” she said in her inspiring post that was followed up with moving photos. From posting photos of herself going bald to sharing her scars, Tahira did it all and didn’t forget to add a touch of humour to her posts.

Hrithik Roshan started off 2019 on a low when he shared an emotional post on Instagram talking about his dad Rakesh Roshan's cancer diagnosis. In January, Hrithik shared the news that his director dad had been diagnosed with early-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the throat and that he was undergoing surgery to treat the same. “He is probably the strongest man I know. Got diagnosed with early-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the throat a few weeks ago, but he is in full spirits today as he proceeds to battle it. As a family, we are fortunate and blessed to have a leader like him,” The actor said in his Instagram post.

Hrithik also added that despite receiving a diagnosis as scary and big as this, his father was still concentrating on remaining positive and at his fittest best. He added that he did not miss the gym even on the day of the surgery.

Director Anurag Basu also won his battle with cancer after a long but victorious battle with leukaemia. The director emerged stronger after fighting the illness and admitted that it played a big role in changing his perspective. "It definitely makes you understand the world around you better. My best work came after my illness. That can't be a coincidence. When you fight death you understand life better," he said in an interview with TOI.

Manisha Koirala, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November 2012, went through a six-month-long intensive treatment that included surgery and several painful chemotherapy sessions in New York. The actress fought the brave fight and went on to tell the tales about her struggles, her misconceptions about the illness and even went on to advocate spreading awareness about the same. After taking her time off to recuperate, Manisha was back on the big screen, doing what she loves best – acting. She was last seen playing Nargis Dutt in the Bollywood blockbuster ‘Sanju’ starring Ranbir Kapoor.

At a time when actors and popular film personalities shun away from speaking about their battles with various illnesses, actress Lisa Ray stepped up to share that she was diagnosed with cancer. Lisa fought the big C in 2009 and resumed her life in full spirit. She also became one of the few stars to spread awareness about the illness and also became a role model and source of inspiration to many others battling the illness.