‘If you accept yourself, people accept you’: Sonali Bendre

On What Women Want, a radio show hosted by Kareena Kapoor Khan, film star Sonali Bendre spoke of self-love. Many are aware of her battle with cancer and upon being asked by Kareena how cancer had changed the survivor’s relationship with herself, she said, “I do put myself first and say that I need to do this and then figure out everybody else. I have learned to say no, which I still find so difficult to say no to people but it’s very liberating.”

She spoke candidly about her struggle to cope with the outside world after her treatment, and she said it was particularly hard when she had lost her hair. She spoke of how difficult it was to face the crowd once she was back in India after her treatment but nonetheless she felt grateful for the love and support she received.

Further, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Sonali Bendre discussed the difference between empathy and sympathy, regarding which, Sonali said, “Empathy is lovely, it helps you and supports you and I feel sympathy pulls you down”. She mentions that on tough days, you need empathy and not sympathy. To help herself, she avoided those who gave her the “bechari” attitude.

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“I am actually learning different ways of connecting with myself, and what I thought I could never do and that is just to sit and be with myself”.

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