Sonali Bendre was diagnosed with cancer six years back and she fought a brave battle with the disease and was declared cancer free in 2021. The actor, who got cancer treatment in New York, recently spoke about her journey and also about Bollywood’s support during the time.
In a conversation with Humans Of Bombay, Sonali confessed to often feeling like an outsider in the industry. Yet, during her illness, everything changed.
Sonali Bendre on feeling like an outsider
"Cancer actually showed me how much I love what I do and that I belong here. For the longest time, I felt like an outsider, I still feel like an outsider. In my illness, the industry came together to support me, that was the one time I didn’t feel like an outsider. I felt so much a part of the community, This is one thing about our industry, whenever there is a crisis, the industry always comes together in support.”
How her colleagues supported her
Sonali went on to describe the overwhelming support she received from her colleagues. " I was in New York there was not a single person in the industry who came to New York and didn’t visit me. It was lovely to catch up with them. It was a joke we used to say ‘come to sit on my couch’ because everybody who came to see me shared what happened with them. Everyone shared their own stories of struggle. It made me realise that even in this, I wasn't alone. No matter how successful someone seems, everyone faces challenges. Their stories gave me strength. My colleagues have been amazing in this manner.”
Sonali’s web series The Broken News Season 2 is currently streaming on Zee 5. It also stars Jaideep Ahlawat.