Actress-host Lisa Ray was replaced from a travel show as she had short hair due to cancer and chemo treatment. She wrote an empowering note on National Cancer Awareness Day.

Lisa Ray was diagnosed with cancer in 2009.

By Anindita Mukherjee: In 2009, Lisa Ray was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, myeloma, in the bone marrow. What was considered incurable in the beginning, was proved otherwise by the actress who fought cancer with her grit and integrity. Years later, Lisa spoke about her cancer recovery yet again. She mentioned that she was replaced from a TV show as she had shorter hair due to chemo sessions.

LISA WAS REPLACED FROM A SHOW DUE TO SHORT HAIR DURING CANCER

Lisa Ray battled myeloma, a rare form of cancer in the bone marrow, only to go through a relapse three years later. However, she didn’t lose heart and fought harder, only to emerge victorious without surgery. During her journey of healing with chemo, the actress maintained short hair during a travel show. However, she was replaced because the makers wanted someone with long hair.

In a Humans of Bombay post, Lisa Ray recalled her cancer journey on National Cancer Awareness Day. The post read, “‘How are you still standing? Your red blood cell count is so low that you can go into cardiac arrest any moment!’ That’s what my doctor said when she 1st saw my blood test report. I’d been experiencing fatigue for months. And a few tests later, another doctor said, ‘You’ve cancer of the plasma of the bone marrow.’ At that moment, for the 1st time in years, I stopped & took a breath. I’d always been on the go. But while a part of me lived on the red carpet, the other craved spiritual peace- extreme ends! (sic).”

The post further read, “Like, I wanted to write a book. It helped me connect with myself. But with work, I never got to do it. But Cancer changed things. My stem cell surgery felt like being close to death & being reborn. But it helped me appreciate the life I had. I remember writing a blog about what it’s like living with cancer. Since the stigma had been so bad in south asian cultures, coming out felt cathartic. People appreciated my honesty too. Somehow, we all found courage in acceptance (sic).”

It continued, “After my treatment, I once tried wearing a wig for a public event but I found it to be ridiculous. I told myself, ‘Remove it’ & went all bald. It was all over the headlines but more than that, it was the most liberating thing I’d ever done. But the media wasn’t always nice. After chemo, I was a part of a travel show with my hair short. I called it a ‘chemo cut.’ But the channel replaced me. They wanted a girl with ‘long’ hair. It was heartbreaking. But soon, I did go into remission only to relapse 3 years later (sic).”

It concluded with, “Things were different by then. I was getting married. I was shattered but I took it 1 day at a time. My body told me what to do & I listened. I went for a 3 week transformation program. I meditated, drank juices, ate sprouts, & introspected. I healed internally. And within months I beat cancer again & without the stem cell surgery! It’s been 9 years since then a lot has happened. I did more movies, wrote a book, raised cancer awareness, had kids, & did the unthinkable- found the courage to start an art platform! It’s ironic how a disease that usually brings the end to us changed my life completely & made me feel more alive than anything else ever did! #NationalCancerAwarenessDay (sic).”

LISA RAY’S WORK FRONT

Lisa Ray has starred in an array of popular films like Water, Kasoor, Veerappan and Dobaara. She was last seen in Four More Shots Please, which also starred Sayani Gupta, Bani J, Kirti Kulhari, Maanvi Gagroo, and Prateik Babbar. Apart from quite a few TV shows, the actress wrote a book called Close to the Bone: A Memoir by Lisa Ray.