Sonali Bendre Only Wanted 'Hopeful' Roles Post Cancer Battle: 'Didn't Want Work That Triggered Me' | Exclusive

In 2018, Sonali Bendre announced that she has been diagnosed with stage four metastatic cancer. Once back after battling and surviving the big C, she began her second innings in 2022 as an actor with a web series titled The Broken News. In the same year, she donned the hat of a judge on the dance reality show, DID Li’l Masters.

At this time, Sonali decided that she would only want to sink her teeth into roles that aren’t dark as they could’ve taken a toll on her emotionally, leaving her depleted. “I really wanted to play hopeful and lighter roles that would’ve kept me happy through it all and I could’ve come back pepped up. I wanted work like that, especially since I had been through a really dark period,” she says.

“I was coming out of it and

didn’t want to do work that would trigger me and make me spiral,” Sonali adds. And Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega became a parameter. “It was such a fun film. The amount of fun Saif (Ali Khan) and I had shooting for it! The energy was great on set. There are very few good, fun and light-hearted stories like that which were being written,” she states.

Needless to say, her latest release, Raakh – a disturbing watch – wasn’t in her bucket list. “Raakh wasn’t something I was looking for. I wasn’t open to it but it came my way. It just goes to show how compelling the content was. The script was so amazing and so was my character and the entire team involved. There was no way I could’ve said no to it,” Sonali tells us.

“I hope I keep getting stuff like Raakh – stuff I can’t say no to. I do hope more creators and directors see me as someone that people usually don’t see me as. I really didn’t think people were seeing me for roles like this one. Every time I felt I wasn’t being seen that way, somebody was. It took some time but I’m glad it came to me,” she further continues.

While she isn’t entirely happy with her screen time in it, she feels it has set a good precedent for potential collaborators. “It’s not the length I like. I would’ve loved to see more of me in the series. But I’m glad I took the chance because it has been an exceptionally amazing experience.” And though she feels that most makers are unsure about where to place her today, she chooses to focus on the silver lining.

“The age I’m at, if I was this age in the nineties when I had started out, I wouldn’t have gotten the roles I’m getting today. That’s why I say I’m in a good space. But can it get better? Of course, it can and I hope it does. But there are so many ways of storytelling and so many stories being told now. At that time, where was the scope of telling these stories? I’m grateful for what’s there,” she remarks.