Sonali Bendre's Cheat Day Looks Sinfully Good, And Tahira Kashyap Wants To Share Too

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; February 21, 2022)

Life has come full circle for Sonali Bendre. The actress, who quit India's Best Dramebaaz (IBD) after she was diagnosed with cancer in July 2018, is back in action as a judge on Dance India Dance (DID) Li’l Masters Season 5.

She says, “I have been away from the screen for nearly four years, but it seems like the whole world has changed since then. In fact, it has changed for everyone with Coronavirus. I had to exit India’s Best Dramebaaz abruptly. With my comeback, it feels that I will complete a journey that I started in 2018.” 

In a chat with BT, the actress elaborates on her journey after surviving cancer, overcoming the need to look perfect, the impact of the pandemic and more. Excerpts:

It’s been a long gap since we’ve seen you in action. Was it a conscious decision to stay away from work till you were mentally and physically fully ready to return, or were you waiting for an interesting project to come your way?
It wasn't planned. My body had gone through so much and I needed to recover, so I started focusing on regaining my strength. When I returned from New York after my treatment in December 2018, I came in a wheelchair, but I did not want to walk out of the airport like that. So, I held on to Goldie (Behl, her husband) and decided that I am going to walk out without a wheelchair.

A reality show is physically demanding and one is expected to spend many hours shooting for it. So, I needed strength to be able to go out and do it. I feel my body has done well. I am now ready to go back and get to where I was. Yes, it's been a four-year pause, but I am back (smiles).

You mentioned that everything has changed, not just for you, but for everyone owing to the pandemic. What is the one change that the audience will get to see in you?
They will see me with shorter hair (laughs!). So yes, there are definitely those physical changes after having gone through what I did. I think I will have more fun on the show than I ever did. You always get caught up with your physical appearance — Is my hair okay? Are my clothes okay? However, this time around, I will focus more on the process and enjoy every minute of the shooting a lot more. I have understood that you have to be in the moment and enjoy it, especially when you’ve been so near death.

Are you saying that you are less conscious about how you look on screen now?
Something like that. The body has changed so much after losing hair and having a huge scar on it. I understand that I can’t be perfect and there is no need for it. I have learnt to accept the fact that there is beauty in imperfection, too.

In a profession that demands that you look a certain way most of the time, it must be a challenge to sometimes just let things be...
There are times when I still fall back into the pattern of feeling insecure about how I am looking, but then it’s a process where I tell myself — that’s not the only thing. It’s not just about how I look or dress. It’s about what I am as a person and what I bring to the table. Also, like I said, I genuinely feel that you have to enjoy what’s unfolding in front of you. If you look at it with kindness and love, you will enjoy it a lot more. That’s what I intend to do — enjoy the process of being on this reality show. And it’s not difficult as we have so much talent. In a country like ours, talent shows are like a little gateway into another universe.

You have been quite vocal about your battle with cancer and creating awareness about it. In fact, last year on Cancer Survivors Day (June 6), you shared a post on your Instagram, where you wrote: ‘I see the will to not let the C-word define how my life will be after it...’
When I went on this journey, there were two hashtags that I started — #OneDayAtATime and #SwitchOnTheSunshine. I have lived like that and will continue following it. With ‘one day at a time’, what I mean to say is that make the most out of the day that’s been given to you. When I say ‘switch on the sunshine’, I also mean that I want to do work and be around people who give me joy. It’s the same with COVID. Nobody in this world is untouched by it. We have all seen horror stories and sad situations, but we, as humanity, have pulled through. Human beings have that resilience. Adversity has shown me that there is more in me and I am going to use that, take the joy from it, enjoy every single day that comes to me and be grateful.

Apart from being a celeb judge on Dance India Dance, do you have any plan to return to acting — whether it is films, TV or OTT?
Yes, but I can’t tell you any more about it just now. I am not at liberty to talk about it yet.