Dear Irrfan Khan - Amitabh Bachchan, Manisha Koirala and Hrithik Roshan's Inspiring Stories Will Help You Stay Strong

A couple of weeks back, Irrfan Khan had a bad news for us - he was suffering from a rare disease, which by the sound of it, was really very serious. He requested his fans and admirers to not make any speculations about what he suffering from (which some news channels didn't follow) and promised us that he would himself reveal the details. He didn't need to. But then, that's Irrfan Khan's humility for you!

And like he promised, Irrfan revealed on Twitter today that he is suffering from NeuroEndocrine Tumour. He wrote, "The unexpected makes us grow, which is what the past few days have been about. Learning that I have been diagnosed with NeuroEndocrine Tumour as of now has admittedly been difficult, but the love and strength of those around me and that I found within me has brought me to a place of hope. The journey of this is taking me out of the country, and I request everyone to continue sending their wishes. As for the rumours, that were floated NEURO is not always about the brain and googling is the easiest way to do research ;-) To those who waited for my words, I hope to be back with more stories to tell."

We are waiting for you, Irrfan. And in the interim if you need tales of survivors to inspire you during your treatment, here are five such stories of celebs, closer home in Bollywood, who have fought life-threatening diseases and emerged winners!

Anurag Basu

The prominent director of movies like Murder, Jagga Jasoos and Barfi was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2004, with the doctors reportedly giving him a 50% chance of survival. Against all odds, not only did the director survive the battle against cancer, but he went on to establish himself as one of the most adept directors in town.

Manisha Koirala

The Bombay and Dil Se actress was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012. But Manisha Koirala was made of sterner stuff as she underwent treatment for the same and came out victor. Later in a heartfelt post, she told, "The six-month ordeal has made me value relationships and people lot more. You realize what is essential and what's not in your life. If it is flight cancellation or being stuck in traffic, I don't get bogged down or upset. I don't see things from a worm's perspective but a bird's perspective. I smile at problems. I like to call myself a cancer crusader." Sure you are!

Amitabh Bachchan

None of the Bollywood fans who have lived through the '70s and the '80s can forget this one. In a stunt gone wrong during the shoot of the 1983 movie Coolie, Amitabh Bachchan suffered from loss of blood due to a ruptured spleen and was even pronounced clinically dead. The whole nation, including the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, prayed for his well-being as Big B battled for his life in the hospital. But like in the movies, he survived against the odds and the rest is history.

Lisa Ray

The beautiful Indo-Canadian actress, who played the lead in Kasoor and Water, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2003. But Ray quietly fought the disease taking the necessary treatment and without drawing too much media attention on herself. Later she revealed that the cancer has been treated, but it is not completely cured. However, Lisa continues to live her life on her own terms and hasn't let the experience and the disease bog her down.

Hrithik Roshan

Like Amitabh Bachchan's case, a stunt gone wrong during the shoot of Bang Bang proved near fatal for Hrithik Roshan. He suffered a head injury and a blood clot had developed in his brain. If it was not treated properly, Hrithik would have suffered graver consequences. Thankfully, the clot was detected and a surgery was successfully performed to remove it. Hrithik took the whole experience with a touch of philosophy, as he posted on Facebook, "We all know that we create a life of joy using the power of our mind. I've had the privilege of creating wonders with this amazing gift given to us called the brain. Occasionally one must look within and realise its value. It gives us the power to see, hear, touch, smell and taste, it allows us to conquer fear and create courage to do things we never imagined. Maybe it's time for me to feel the power literally."

Going beyond Bollywood, there is also the prime example of the Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh, who fought and survived against cancer, wrote a book about it, joined the Indian team later and is now happily married to Hazel Keech.

We have heroes and survivors all around us, and we are sure Irrfan Khan is one of them! Get well soon, Irrfan ji, we need more earth-shattering performances from you!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 16, 2018 05:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).