It was in the year 2018 when Sonali Bendre Behl shared that she was suffering from cancer. Since then she had been in New York for her treatment. Occasionally, she would pen a note for her son, on her Instagram account, and update her fans, sometimes about her latest look, and other times about the tougher side of being a mother in such times.
During an interaction with Cosmopolitan when the actress was asked about the present time of crisis, she said, "It's always a good time to give back, it's not just about now. As for me, it's not a new situation. The only newness is that everyone else is in isolation, too. Two years ago, I was barely meeting anyone. I constantly sanitized my hands, wore a mask and was neuro-compromised, wasn't going out. I stepped out occasionally for a walk and would meet absolute strangers, who would be kind to me on the road. Their kindness made a huge difference to my day. It made me think, do we really need to have someone dying to show some kindness? The same rule applies to our current situation; we don't really need a crisis to be kind. We can just be kind."
Much like Sonali Bendre Behl, in times of crisis many of us forget that unlike the migrant workers, we are in a privileged place where we are not deprived of basic necessities such as a roof above our heads, groceries. She also talked about how we can contribute to the ones who are not privileged.
"What I understood from my illness is that as human beings, we tend to get overwhelmed. We feel this will never happen to us, we give people a cheque and feel our work is done. But now my perspective has changed. I need to do something more personal than just a cursory check-up. Always remember that a small drop in the ocean can make a difference. I urge you to contribute to the PM or chief minister's fund, give whatever you can to charities that are doing good work. Many of us have help at home, so in a time like this we need to take care of our unit, our ecosystem. Give them a little extra than their salary because everything is going to be a little expensive this month. Give them the confidence, tell them they needn't go back to their villages, they can stay here. Taking care of the people in need, around us, can make a huge difference," said Sonali Bendre Behl.
