Aruna Irani reveals she battled breast cancer twice, refused chemo for work: ‘How would I shoot if I lose hair'
Speaking to Lehren, Aruna recalled how she sensed something was wrong while on a shoot. "Aise hi ek din shooting kar rahi thi, pata nahi mujhe kaise pata laga par maine bola 'Mujhe kuch lag raha hai' (One day, I was shooting as usual. I don't know how, but I just felt something and said, 'I feel like something's wrong')," she said.
Upon consulting a doctor, she was told the lump was minor. However, she insisted on having it removed immediately.
Although doctors recommended chemotherapy, the actor declined, fearing it would affect her appearance and impact her acting career. "Then the doctor said you will have to take a pill, and I chose that as I was working. How would I shoot if I lose my hair?" she said.
Aruna Irani's cancer returned in 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, she decided to follow the doctor's advice and undergo chemotherapy. 'Meri hi galti thi, as pehle maine chemotherapy nahi lee this (It was my fault because I did not opt for chemotherapy the first time). This time around, I took it,' she shared.
She said that by then, chemotherapy had become more advanced. Although Aruna experienced some hair loss, it grew back with time. 'Still, you lose a bit of your hair, but woh jaldi aa bhi jaate hai (it grows back quickly)," she added.
In addition to her battle with cancer, Aruna was diagnosed with diabetes at 60. At one point, doctors even told her that her kidneys had failed.
Aruna Irani made her acting debut at a young age in the 1961 film Ganga Jumna. Later, she appeared in the 1962 film Anpadh. She has acted in more than 500 films in Hindi, Kannada, Marathi and Gujarati.
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