Often the face on-camera does not portray the underlying battles an actor or a celeb is going through. As we observe Breast Cancer Awareness month, here’s celebrating some of these strong-spirited women who fought cancer and with their courageous fight inspire millions the world over:
Dame Maggie Smith:
At the age of 74, in 2007, this knighted English actress was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite the diagnosis, she persisted on filming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Even as the chemotherapy lowered her energy, it couldn’t lower her spirits. She simply put a wig on and kept on filming. Notably, Smith continued to act in the final film of the Harry Potter series — Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. Dame Maggie Smith has been cancer-free since 2009.
Mumtaz:
The veteran beauty who stole our hearts was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 54 in 2002. Not one to give up easily, six chemotherapies, and 35 radiations later, Mumtaz is cancer-free. After battling all odds and winning her battle with death, Mumtaz still manages to turn heads.
Tahira Kashyap:
The author and wife of Ayushmann Khurana is also a breast cancer survivor and an inspiration to many. After her diagnosis, Kashyap underwent a mastectomy procedure and emerged triumphant in her battle. She now strives to create awareness about breast cancer.
Kathy Bates:
The American Horror Story actress is a survivor through and through and has won her fight against cancer twice. Kathy Bates was already a survivor of Ovarian Cancer in 2003 when she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. She underwent a double mastectomy and continues to leave us in awe with her performances.
Manisha Koirala:
After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 42 in 2012, Koirala decided to fight for her life with invincible determination and positivity. Ever since her recovery, the actress is actively engaged in cancer awareness drives and sharing her optimism.
Lisa Ray:
The Canadian-Indian actress suffered from cancer of plasma in 2009. After her successful treatment involving a stem-cell transplant, Ray has been cancer-free since 2010. The 48-year-old beauty continues to dazzle our screens with her acting in Four More Shots Please.
Sonali Bendre:
In July 2018, Sonali Bendre took to Twitter to announce that she has been diagnosed with metastatic cancer. But armed with her infectious smile and a positive outlook, she won her painful fight.
There is always hope under a dark cloud and these fearless women are a testament to that. We are in awe of their beauty, strength, and resilience and salute the spirit of all fighters like them.
(Contributed by Sakshi Prabhu)