The 48-year-old actress, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, said that the dreaded disease had changes her as a person, as she is now kinder and values her life and health more. It taught her that we are all interconnected and intertwined.
“I took my life for granted. I neglected my health, that is why cancer came to me as a teacher, it came to me as a lesson. I value my life more now, love my family, value my health because I realised if one is not healthy, one cannot enjoy any aspect of living,” Manisha told PTI.
Manisha was present in the Jaipur Literature Festival during which she discussed her book Healed: How Cancer Gave Me a Life. The book opens with the sentence ‘I don’t want to die’.
The actress said, “The thought of death is the first thing that comes to mind when a person is diagnosed with cancer. I was utterly shocked when I came to know about the disease. It was the loneliest night. Even a familiar journey from Kathmandu to Mumbai which I had taken umpteen times felt so different.”
Manisha, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012, said she became conscious of people’s gestures and emotions. She was searching for positive stories and found success stories of Lisa Ray and Yuvraj Singh who came out fighting cancer. She even credited her mother for providing all the emotional support that she needed to get healed.
Manisha Koirala made her debut in a Hindi film Saudagar in 1991 and later worked in various other films including her Tamil Film Bombay and Indian. She took a break from acting in 2012 following her diagnosis. Post-recovery, Manisha has seen in a Hindi film Chehere: A Modern Classic. Currently, Manisha is working in a bilingual film titled 99 Songs.
Sonali Bendre, Lisa Ray, Irrfan Khan, and Yuvraj Singh are the other celebrities who fought serious illness and inspired us to stay strong.
