Sonali Bendre has been one of the acclaimed actresses from the 90s in Bollywood. Her illustrious career boasts of her being a part of various remarkable films and reality shows. Meanwhile, the actress is currently immersed in the promotions of her web series, The Broken News Season 2.
In her personal life, the actress had a tough phase when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2018 which deeply affected her and her family. Recently, the actress talked extensively about it and recalled her husband’s reaction to the same.
Sonali Bendre talks about her cancer diagnosis and her husband Goldie Behl’s reaction to it
In a recent conversation at Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, Sonali Bendre reflected on her journey with cancer. The actress mentioned that she became aware of it as she knew ‘something wasn’t right’ with her. When they consulted the doctor, they discovered about it. However, even then they thought it ‘might be small’.
Bendre continues by recounting that it was only after the tests proceeded, they realized it wasn’t minor. She said, “I could see it on the doctor’s face. When they did the PET scan, my doctor’s and husband Goldie Behl’s faces were white. I saw all the color fading away from their faces.”
The Broken News actress recalled the technician telling them ‘it’s like a Christmas tree inside’. She further explained that when one undergoes a PET scan, the cancer cells light up, through which the doctors spot where all it exists. Admitting to being in denial, Sonali further revealed that it had spread so much inside her ‘that the scanning looked like staring at a Christmas tree’.
“Initially, I was in denial. I tried to sleep it off. But nothing changed when I woke up. My husband (Goldie Behl) made some quick decisions, and in two days, we were out of the country. I was fighting with him because Ranveer (her son) was not there as he was away at a summer camp. I told him to slow down and give me time to organize things. At one point, he snapped and told me to stop thinking of other things and focus on myself and staying alive,” she said, recalling her battle against metastatic stage-4 cancer.
Sonali Bendre admits to being angry on doctors after the news was broken to her
In addition to this, Sonali further remembered starting her battle with cancer with the hope of a 30 percent chance of survival. She also admitted reacting angrily to the doctor when the news was broken. She said, “I asked the doctor how could he say that. I kept on asking how this could happen. When you are in denial, you lash out at the person in front of you. Looking back, I realized he was just telling me the truth and nothing can change the reality.”
Sonali Bendre on experience of losing hair to chemotherapy
The actress highlighted the importance of talking about cancer openly, as she realizes the associated stigma with it. Furthermore, she talked about the experience of losing her hair due to chemotherapy and documenting it in a video.
“It was tough. I had a strong attachment to my hair. Logically, it’s not a significant loss. It’s just hair. It will grow back once you cut it. But emotions and vanity don’t always follow logic. My hair was a source of pride for me. I had endorsed every hair product imaginable at that time. I was known for my hair. Then suddenly, it was all about to go, and I just said, ‘let it go.’ I had to let go of that attachment,” she added.
The Broken News Season 2 is currently streaming on Zee 5.
