Anupam Kher recently took to Instagram to share actor Mahima Chaudhry’s battle against breast cancer. Kher shared a longish video where he was seen asking Mahima questions about the treatment and how she was feeling now.Mahima, who had undergone chemotherapy and was seen sporting a shaved head, looked slightly overwhelmed in the clip as she detailed her cancer journey.She said she was surprised by the number of calls she received to star in projects after losing her hair to the illness, stating, “Surprisingly, ever since I lost my hair, I have been getting a lot of calls for shows, web series. And I was like, ‘Oh my god, why now? I don’t even have hair’ So I didn’t tell them. And I told you because I couldn’t lie to you. I don’t know, I just get so emotional,” she said as she broke down on camera.When asked how she discovered she had the disease, Mahima said, “I did not have any symptoms, it was just an annual check-up. I was getting my regular tests done, and the person who was doing the tests said I should go and get this checked. They said you have to get a chemotherapy (done), and I started crying. And my sister was like ‘it’s treatable.’ She was like ‘why are you behaving like a 17th century woman?’ But then you are just so terrified of the word cancer, which is why I didn’t share it with my parents at first, because they are so vulnerable.”
Towards the end of the clip, Anupam Kher also made an appearance in the video and heaped praise on Mahima for dealing the way she did with cancer. Mahima also added that when she first learnt about her diagnosis, she would spend days crying, but an encounter with a child who was going through treatment as well, changed her attitude towards it. “I am feeling so good. I was all the time weeping and crying, until I met this little boy who gave me strength, who said, ‘Arey aapki dawai bas itni hai? Meri to itni saari hai (You only have this much medicine, I have been given a lot of them).” She ended the clip by reassuring everyone that she is doing much better now: “I am fine, by the way, and I am totally recovered.”Anupam Kher had shared the aforecited video with a caption that read, “Story of @mahimachaudhry1 ‘s courage and Cancer: I called #MahimaChaudhry a month back from US to play a very important role in my 525th film #TheSignature. Our conversation turned to her discovering that she has #BreastCancer. What followed is in this candid conversation between us. Her attitude will give hope to so many women all over the world. She wanted me to be part of her disclosing about it. She calls me an eternal optimist but dearest Mahima! “You are my HERO!” Friends! Send her your love, warmth, wishes, prayers and blessings. She is BACK on sets where she belongs. She is ready to fly. All those producers/directors out there! Here is your opportunity to tap on her brilliance! Jai ho to her!!🙏❤️ #Cancer #Courage #Hope #Prayers.”