7 Female Celebrities Who Fought Cancer And Inspired All Of Us With Their Courage

Written by Niharika Nayak, BA (Media & Communication)  • 

Many of us may falsely believe that celebrities have it easy in life due to their status and wealth. However, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t as emotional or vulnerable to illnesses as we are. Recently, the world was left in a state of shock with the passing of Rishi Kapoor to cancer. There have been many celebrities in the past who tried to fight the battle against the vicious disease but ultimately succumbed to the illness. Since October is breast cancer awareness month, let’s take a look at some courageous female celebrities who fought cancer and spread awareness about it:

1. Lisa Ray

Image: Instagram @lisaraniray

Lisa Rani Ray is a half Indian-half Polish model and actress best known for her roles in Water, 4 More Shots Please, and I Can’t Think Straight. She was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called multiple myeloma and began chemotherapy and stem cell treatment. The actress was declared cancer-free exactly one year after undergoing treatment. On a talk show with actress Kareena Kapoor Khan, Lisa revealed that she had a relapse of her cancer a month into being married to her husband, Jason Dehni. However, she completely altered her diet and was declared in remission once again. In 2018, Jason and Lisa welcomed their two daughters, Soleil and Sufi, via a surrogate.

2. Tahira Kashyap

Image: Instagram @tahirakashyap

Tahira Kashyap is an Indian writer and model and the wife of Bollywood actor Ayushmaan Khurrana. The lovebirds have been married for over a decade and had dated since they were in college together. Tahira was detected with a tumor in one of her breasts and underwent a preventive mastectomy. She had been diagnosed with stage 0 cancer, and when detected early, the survival rate is 100% as the cancer has not spread to the rest of the breast tissue. Tahira, too, struggled with the mental impacts of her diagnosis and even revealed her family’s reaction to her condition. She also spoke kindly about Ayushmaan and revealed how he was such a major support system for her and stuck by her side throughout her treatment (1).

3. Manisha Koirala

Image: Instagram @m_koirala

When Manisha Koirala was 42, she was shocked to discover that she had been diagnosed with advanced stage 4 ovarian cancer. The Sanju actress is a Nepalese citizen by birth but has starred in numerous Indian films and built a stable career for herself. She did not let her diagnosis control her and immediately spurred into action. The actress sought treatment at the prestigious Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital in New York City. Manisha underwent treatment for a year and later announced that she was cancer-free. She recently released a book called Healed in which she addressed her battle with the disease.

4. Sonali Bendre

Image: Instagram @iamsonalibendre

In 2018, Sonali shared with the world that she had been diagnosed with a form of high-grade metastatic cancer. She shared that she had shifted to New York City to undergo treatment for her cancer. She also revealed that she had a weird pain in her body that she could not pinpoint. Luckily, the actress sought the necessary help and started her cancer treatment journey. Sonali revealed how badly she wept the night she was diagnosed with the deadly disease. However, she wasn’t disheartened and kept a positive attitude throughout her treatment. Sonali was lucky enough to have a partner and a great support system to help her through her journey.

5. Mumtaz

Image: Twitter

In the year 2000, yesteryears actress Mumtaz was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 54. The actress was known for being extremely athletic and used to engage in a lot of physical activities before her cancer diagnosis. Mumtaz went through six sessions of chemotherapy and 30 plus sessions of radiation before she kicked cancer to the curb. After emerging victorious from her battle with cancer, Mumtaz famously said, “I don’t give up easily. Even death will have to fight me.” She returned back to her regular, physically active routine after this.

6. Nafisa Ali Sodhi

Image: Instagram @nafisaalisodhi

Nafisa was one of the few actresses to open up about the pain and struggle associated with chemotherapy. During an interview, she had explained how chemotherapy is a challenging process and how she could not even walk during her initial days. She spoke about how it doesn’t just kill cancer cells but healthy cells as well and leaves you feeling fatigued. She had also been loud and proud about rocking her bald haircut and announced to the world that she was cancer-free later.

7. Barbara Mori

Image: Instagram @delamori

Barbara Mori is best known in India for playing the role of Natasha/Linda in the film Kites. She starred as Hrithik Roshan’s love interest in the film, and their chemistry was incredibly captivating to watch. Lucky for Barbara, her cancer was detected at an early stage, and she was able to seek treatment and go into remission. Ever since her bout with the disease, she has championed for women to get tested more often. She has also encouraged women to take matters into their own hands and watch out for any signs that things might be going South.

At the end of the day, the common thought that those going through cancer treatment will tell you is to keep a positive attitude. No matter how bad you may think things are, maintaining a positive and healthy attitude will be extremely beneficial. Let us know your thoughts on this article in the comment section down below.

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