88 THE WEEK^ • JULY 29, 2018
DETOUR
SHOBHAA DEI
was away in Prague when I read about Son-
ali Bendre’s brave announcement about her
cancer. Initially, I was in a state of disbelief,
and thought it was someone’s lousy idea of a joke,
or worse, a promotional trick for a new TV show
or web series. It was only after common friends
phoned and messaged from New York that the
truth sunk in. Yes, this beautiful young woman was
indeed unwell, and she was not afraid to share the
sad news with her fans and well-wishers. Her posts
have been heartbreaking but also inspiring. Th is is
really how one should deal with such awful news—
take it on the chin and fi ght back! Sonali is doing
just that, and our prayers are with this spunky lady,
mother of Ranveer, a gorgeous little fellow, and
wife of a mild-mannered, consistently pleasant fi lm
director, Goldie Behl.
I have known Sonali for years. We connect on
a very basic level, both of us
being proud Maharashtrians.
We always converse in Marathi
and indulge in non-fi lmy con-
versations, mainly about kids
and books. Sonali is very aware
and well read, but never shoves
her high IQ down the throats
of friends who may have other
interests. I also know from our
common publisher that she is
a thorough professional who meets her deadlines
and displays no starry airs during book promotions.
Sonali has recently found her niche as a much-pho-
tographed fashionista, who is consistently on point,
be it on the red carpet or at the by-now-ubiquitous
airport outing. As a judge on reality shows, Sonali
was seen as an unbiased and friendly person, who
spoke her mind without off ending any participant.
Perhaps that has been her most enduring character
trait—her genuinely good nature, minus fi lters.
And, it is this that will see her through the crisis.
I am so proud that Sonali did not hide her medi-
cal condition (metastatic cancer). And, she shared
facts as well as her emotions with her fans, which
not only added to her list of admirers, but also setthe right example. Earlier, Irrfan Khan had also taken
to social media to talk about his rare condition. He
had followed it up with a philosophical letter to his
fans, which was seen as a reassuring and heart-
warming gesture. Both stars have taken a route that
involves direct communication with their vast fan
base. It has worked big time. In an earlier era, Mani-
sha Koirala and Lisa Ray had dealt with their cancers
in a similar fashion and won hearts.
Gone are the days when Bollywood stars would go
to great lengths to hide illness. If at all there was any
communication about the star’s condition, it came
via a press note issued by a secretary. Most times,
the whereabouts of the ailing star were kept secret,
and information withheld till it was too late. It was
considered “bad for business”. Today, if a star lets
everybody know something is wrong, it is considered
“good for business”—aff ected producers can take a
call for under-production projects
and plan better, like it has hap-
pened with Irrfan.
One of her closest gal pals
dropped everything and rushed
to be by her side in New York as
soon as she heard about the ail-
ment. Th is lady is a busy profes-
sional, with several key projects in
the pipeline. And yet, she didn’t
think twice about getting on the
fi rst available fl ight to be with her friend. Th at is the
sort of loyalty and love Sonali inspires.
Sonali refers to the stage IV cancer as a “curveball”
life has thrown at her. I am certain she will deal with
it heroically and come home with her signature
smile in place and her dancing eyes shining, ready to
dazzle her host of admirers. For me, Sonali remains
the same ‘Maharashtrian mulgi’ I had been so
impressed with decades ago when she greeted Mi-
chael Jackson with an aarti, dressed in a traditional
nine-yard kashta sari (1996). Th is was before she got
married to Goldie. Speedy recovery, darling Sonali.
We want you back in the hood, and make it fast!
P.S. Your recent video on getting your tresses cut
broke the internet, and our hearts.
http://www.shobhaade.blogspot.comBeing frank helps