During her conversation with Madhuri Dixit, Sonali shared a personal lesson from her experience with cancer and spoke about the importance of accepting herself through difficult times.
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Sonali Bendre opens up to Madhuri Dixit about loving her body (PC: Twitter)
Sonali Bendre has often spoken about how her experience with cancer changed the way she looked at lifeDuring a recent appearance on a television show hosted by Madhuri Dixit, the actor reflected on the difficult period and the lessons she took away from itRather than describing the experience only in terms of struggle and survival, Sonali spoke about understanding her body and learning to treat herself with compassionHer candid account offered a personal perspective on living through a serious illness and finding a different way to approach pain, recovery and self-acceptance.
Sonali Bendre opens up about cancer on Kon Honar Crorepati
Sonali shared her experience at the grand premiere of Kon Honar Crorepati, the Marathi version of Kaun Banega Crorepati, hosted by Madhuri DixitDuring their conversation, Madhuri praised Sonali for facing cancer and recovering from the diseaseSonali explained that she had never viewed her experience simply as a battle she needed to winInstead, she wanted to understand what was happening to her and what she could learn from it.
Speaking on the show, Sonali said, “I mean, you know, actually, we always say that someone has overcome cancerBut, all jokes apart, we say all these things while laughing and jokingBut at that time, the actual intention was not to overcome itIt was to understand why this was happening and what I could learn from itAnd trust me, I actually learnt a lot from itAnd that is how I looked at it.”
Why did Sonali Bendre choose to love her body during cancer treatment?
Sonali also explained why she found the usual language of fighting or overcoming cancer difficult to relate toFor her, describing the illness as a battle risked creating a sense of conflict with her own bodyShe felt that the experience called for understanding rather than treating herself as an opponent.
Explaining her approach, she said, “Because I feel that when we say we have overcome something, it somehow feels like a fightThere is a sense of negativity somewhereAnd, after all, it is our own body, isn’t it? The cancer cells are also our own cellsSo, how can we fight ourselves? So how do I love my body the way it is? And I thought that maybe I should treat it with loveIt’s very difficult to love something that was giving you so much painBut I think that’s probably what worked for meAnd that’s where it went.”
Check out video from Kon Honar Crorepati here
When was Sonali Bendre diagnosed with cancer?
Sonali was diagnosed with high-grade metastatic cancer in July 2018 and shared the news publicly through social mediaShe travelled to New York for treatment and kept fans updated about her journeyDuring this period, she also spoke openly about the physical and emotional challenges of living with the diseaseShe was declared cancer-free in 2021.
What is Sonali Bendre doing now?
After her recovery, Sonali returned to acting and continued working across films and televisionHer recent projects include the web series Raakh and The Broken NewsShe has also appeared as a host on the reality show Pati Patni Aur Panga alongside comedian Munawar Faruqui.
