From Sonali Bendre to Tahira Kashyap: 8 celebrities who battled cancer and came out brave

Cancer is said to be the deadliest disease and the name itself scares us. As it is World Cancer Day today, this day is organized and marked to raise awareness about the disease.

This year World Cancer Day celebrates its 20th anniversary and with the theme 'I am and I will', implying that cancer could be defeated.

Not only common people even Bollywood and cricketers fought this disease and battled cancer and came out strong.  

On the eve of World Cancer Day, International Business Times brings to you celebrities who fought cancer like a boss and are started their life with a new horizon.

Sonali  Bendre

The world was left shocked after actress Sonali Bendre took to Twitter to announce that she is suffering from Metastatic Cancer.

Sonali's disease came as a shocker to many, however, the iron lady, fought it and is an inspiration for many. She didn't shy away from posting bald pictures and went all out to create awareness about the same.

Tahira Kashyap

Bold, beautiful and truly an inspiration, Tahira Kashyap Khurrana has been one force of light ever since she was diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer.

She has redefined her own destiny by endeavouring the strength and confidence that any cancer patient, especially a woman needs at this sensitive stage.

Tahira has always been vocal about cancer and has gone all out creating awareness about the same.

Speaking on cancer she said, "Having been a stage zero breast cancer survivor myself, recognizing and sensitizing people about it has been my aim. 

As a woman, especially one who has experienced it first hand, I take it as my responsibility to extend my outreach in full capacity to emancipate women about the grave condition. She is truly an inspiration for many.

Rishi Kapoor

Rishi Kapoor was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer in December 2018 after which he moved to the US with wife Neetu Singh for treatment.

After spending almost, a year away from his home Rishi Kapoor finally returned back to India in October 2019.

Rishi will also be seen in a Bollywood film Hindi version of popular Hollywood film 'Interwhich stars Deepika Padukone.

Manisha Koirala

 The actress won a battle against ovarian cancer. The actress has also written a book "Healed: How Cancer Gave Me a New Life", which opens with a sentence "I don't want to die". Post which she is seen in various films and has started afresh.

Irrfan khan

Irrfan Khan was diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine tumour. He underwent treatment in London and defeated the disease.

However, the actor kept himself away from the media glare and limelight and focused on his health. After defeating cancer, Irrfan is back to the Bollywood grind and is busy shooting for his next film Angrezi Medium which will hit the screens this year.

Lisa Ray

At 37, Lisa Ray was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (a form of blood cancer) in 2009. She was declared cancer-free in 2010 but she was put on a heavy dose of medication which she is required to take for her entire lifetime.

Lisa had married her longtime boyfriend Jason Dehni on 20 October 2012. Around this time, her cancer had relapsed and is still living with it.

The beautiful actor, model and now a mother opened up about her battle in with cancer in the book.

Recalling her fatal tryst with the disease Lisa opened up with media saying, My doctor was scared because after he announced to me that I had multiple myeloma, I didn't react.

Even though he said it was incurable and fatal. In my mind, I was thinking that my body has been trying to give me signals for months, and I was ignoring them.

Then I got this strongest possible message. Intuitively, I knew something was wrong. But I didn't have the courage to do anything, because I was trained to ignore what my body was telling me.

I was a glamorous figure, a sex symbol, but while I was at the height of fame, I was experiencing the lowest lows.

I had anorexia, bulimia, I hated myself. Going through these extreme experiences made me an investigator of life.

I had fame, money, reputation everything the society tells you to need to be happy. Yet I wasn't. That's what lead me to write the book.

Anurag Basu

If actors battled the disease with bravery. Director Anurag Basu too fought cancer like a warrior. Director Anurag Basu was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic Leukemia a type of blood cancer in 2004. However, Anurag defeated the disease with proper medical treatment.

Last but not the least cricketer Yuvraj Singh too fought cancer and came out strong.