Having garnered instant recognition for her debut movie, ‘Aag’ in 1994, the gorgeous Sonali Bendre went on to star in blockbusters like ‘Diljale’, ‘Major Saab’, ‘Sarfarosh’, ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ and ‘Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai’. The prima donna has also appeared in a cameo in Shah Rukh Khan’s well-celebrated, ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ as his doctor.

In July, the actress took to her social media to tell that she has been diagnosed with a “high-grade cancer” but she will start her treatment promptly.

Sometimes, when you least expect it, life throws you a curveball. I have recently been diagnosed with a high grade cancer that has metastised, which we frankly did not see coming. A niggling pain led to some tests, which led to this unexpected diagnosis. My family and close friends have rallied around me, providing the best support system that anyone can ask for. I am very blessed and thankful for each of them. There is no better way to tackle this, than to take swift and immediate action. And so, as advised by my doctors, I am currently undergoing a course of treatment in New York. We remain optimistic and I am determined to fight every step of the way. What has helped has been the immense outpouring of love and support I’ve received over the past few days, for which I am very grateful. I’m taking this battle head on, knowing I have the strength of my family and friends behind me.

A post shared by Sonali Bendre (@iamsonalibendre) on Jul 3, 2018 at 11:46pm PDT

On the instance of ‘World Friendship Day’ on Sunday, Sonali has shared a photograph with her friends Sussanne Khan and Gayatri Oberoi, taken by the heartthrob, Hrithik Roshan.

“This is me. And in this moment, I am really happy. People give me strange looks when I say that now, but it’s true and I’ll tell you why. I am now paying attention to every moment, looking for every opportunity to find joy and switch on the sunshine,” Sonali captions the photo. She says there are “moments of pain and low energy”.

A post shared by Sonali Bendre (@iamsonalibendre) on Aug 4, 2018 at 10:28pm PDT

She goes on to thank her friends on the Friendship Day, “But I am doing what I like, spending time with people I love, and feeling very loved and happy. I am extremely grateful to my friends, my pillars of strength, who at a moment’s notice, arrived to be with me and help me through this. In between their busy schedules they find time to visit, call, message, FaceTime… basically never leaving a moment for me to feel alone. Thank you for showing me what true friendship is. Happy Friendship Day, ladies.”

Read Also: Sonali Bendre Battling a High-Grade Cancer

The 43-year-old protagonist, who is undergoing a metastatic cancer treatment in New York, says it takes far less time getting dressed now. “Because I don’t have to fuss over my hair! Bald is beautiful. Find the positive. One day at a time,” she adds.

In the words of my favourite author Isabel Allende, “We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome.” The outpouring of love I’ve received in the last few days has been so overwhelming… and I’m especially grateful to those of you who shared stories of your experiences in dealing with cancer, whether it was your own or of loved ones. Your stories have given me an extra dosage of strength and courage, and more importantly, the knowledge that I’m not alone. Each day comes with its own challenges and victories and so for now, I’m taking this #OneDayAtATime. The only thing I’m trying to be consistent about is maintaining a positive outlook… literally #SwitchOnTheSunshine – it’s my way of dealing with this. Sharing my journey is also part of this process… I can only hope it reminds you that all is not lost and that someone, somewhere understands what you’re going through. ???????? Thank you @tomoarakawa for making this a chic transition from long to short!

A post shared by Sonali Bendre (@iamsonalibendre) on Jul 10, 2018 at 12:20am PDT

Soon after her diagnosis, the Duplicate thespian has been quite active on her social media platforms, constantly giving updates about her disease, treatment, and overall health, to her fans and friends in the fraternity through heartfelt notes.

Sonali, who is recently in the midst of a battle against cancer, is looking for positivity in her new array and writes ‘bald is beautiful’ as a hashtag in her post. May she get well real soon. More power to you Sonali!

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