Manisha Koirala Has Been A Big Help In Crusade Against Cancer Says Sonali Bendre

Bollywood actress and cancer survivor Sonali Bendre said actress Manisha Koirala has been a big help in her crusade against the disease.

“Manisha (Koirala) has been a big help. She has been through it and is a survivor. She has also written a lovely book about it,” she said during an interactive session organised by FICCI FLO (Bangalore Chapter) here late Wednesday evening.

She was responding to a question as to whether she had received tips from celebrities like Yuvraj Singh and Manisha to fight cancer. Manisha was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012, but was declared cancer-free by mid-2014 after undergoing treatment. Sonali said she did not meet another cricketer Yuvraj Singh, a cancer survivor. She did however, meet his mother.

“I haven’t met Yuvraj. I met his mother, though, and she was very warm and kind,” she added.

In 2011, Yuvraj was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his left lung and underwent chemotherapy treatment in Boston and Indianapolis. In March 2012, he was discharged from the hospital after completing the third and final cycle of chemotherapy and returned to India in April.

Sonali further said a lot of help and advice, however, has come from non-celebrities, which she valued very much. Goldie Behl, her husband, also has been a pillar of strength in her fight against cancer, she said.

“Goldie has been my rock and pillar of strength to help me fight cancer. Thank God, I decided to get married to him,” she said. Also the families of Goldie and Sonali have been a great help for her, which gives her immense joy than material things give.

“My mother always told me that human being matters more. Of course, there are times when you realize material things are also important, which gets you the treatment in the US, but even that cannot give you the joy the family gives and sees you through it. That is the most important thing,” she said.

Sonali had undergone treatment for metastatic cancer in New York in December last.