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Sunaina Roshan, who has battled cervical cancer, fatty liver disease and brain tuberculosis, often shares her transformation journey on Instagram now.
Sunaina Roshan has battled cervical cancer and brain tuberculosis.
Rakesh Roshan’s life hasn’t been a bed of roses. In the documentary The Roshans, the veteran actor-turned-filmmaker shed light on how the lack of acting offers coupled with a financial strain took a toll on him and so, he forayed into production and then turned towards direction. On the personal front too, life hasn’t been easy. Post the release of Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, he was shot at in 2000. In 2019, he was diagnosed with throat cancer and emerged as a survivor.
In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, Rakesh says that he didn’t let these setbacks deter him and that he draws strength from his daughter, Sunaina Roshan. “I learnt a lot about dealing with struggles from my daughter. She went through a lot of illnesses and surgeries right since her childhood. But she always been very brave and used to laugh at the face of hardships. She has always been a very happy person and that that taught me a lot. I believe that no matter what the situation is, we should be happy and content,” he tells us.
Sunaina, who has battled cervical cancer, fatty liver disease and brain tuberculosis, often shares her transformation journey on Instagram now. According to Rakesh, Sunaina’s approach to life helped him deal with both cancer and the shooting episode. “I took it very lightly even when I got shot. I used to joke with them even then so that they don’t feel that life is going towards a darker space. I did the same thing when I got cancer. Hrithik (Roshan) and I were working out on the morning of the day I was going for my surgery,” he states.
The Koi Mil Gaya filmmaker continued, “We worked out at the gym for an hour, then I got ready and went to the hospital. My surgery took place at one o’clock and at four, I was put in the room. And I was walking at five o’clock. I believe it’s all in the mind. It all boils down to how strong you can make your mind so that you can forget your hardships.”
Rakesh also credits his wife, Pinkie Roshan, for being his support system during all these years and for ‘adjusting’ with him despite coming from ‘an affluent family’, specifically when his professional life was going through a rough patch. “She married me when I was earning Rs 200 as an AD. She took up 80 percent of the burden and said that she’s happy with me,” he says, adding that it’s because of her and his children that he never brought work stress home.
He says, “I made that choice of not bringing my professional frustrations home. I never came home depressed. I always put a brave front. And I realised much later that children shouldn’t get married when they’re very young – when they’re 22, 23 or 24. They should be matured when they decide to get married. I joined the industry as an assistant when I was 21 and that’s also a very young age. So, I told myself that when Hrithik is 24 or 25, only then will I launch him as an actor and that’s what I did.”
