Veteran actor and politician Nafisa Ali Sodhi, who first fought cancer in 2018, has once again found herself facing the disease head-on. The 68-year-old revealed earlier this month that she has been diagnosed with Stage 4 peritoneal cancer and has resumed chemotherapy. Yet, in her own words, she refuses to let the illness dim her zest for life.
A delayed diagnosis that changed everything
In an intervew with The Quint, Nafisa recalled how her first diagnosis came only after repeated misdiagnoses by doctors. It was journalist Madhu Trehan who urged her to get a proper check-up after seeing her in visible pain. By then, the cancer had already metastasised. She admitted that the delay made her battle far more difficult, taking her from Stage 3 in the past to now confronting Stage 4.
Living with optimism
Despite the relapse, the actor insists that she chooses to smile through the pain. “What to do? Otherwise, I will be dead in two years! (laughs) I smile through life, even through all the trauma, because I find that it opens doors instead of shutting them down. That’s my mantra in life,” Nafisa told The Quint.
Chemo struggles and resilience
Speaking about chemotherapy, Nafisa admitted it continues to be one of the hardest parts of her journey. She recalled how, after a relapse three years ago, a PET scan revealed that the cancer had advanced to Stage 4, spreading to her abdomen and beyond, leaving chemotherapy as her only option. “Chemo is a very toxic process. I dislike it immensely… It knocks you down with pain in your joints, gives you fever, makes you feel bad,” she said, while adding that she relies on her body’s signals to track progress. “Yesterday I felt bad, today I feel better, tomorrow I will feel good. That’s how I know I am getting stronger.”
Breaking the stigma around cancer
For Nafisa, the biggest battle is not just physical but also societal. She strongly believes in talking openly about the illness. “I always say, ‘Don’t hide your cancer.’ Why is it something to hide? Cancer exists in everybody’s body. It is only our immunity that attacks it and suppresses it. I had a lot of stress levels. Perhaps that is why I had this aggressive relapse. But you have to keep your mind at peace, that’s important.” She described herself as deeply family-oriented and someone who finds joy in being there for others. “I love life… I don’t turn my back on situations where I can reach out and help. It also brings out the activist in me, because there is so much grief around in the world,” she added.
No regrets, only unfinished dreams
When asked about regrets, Nafisa confessed she wished she could have contributed more in Parliament. “I regret not being there, where I could fight for my country with the strength and conviction I believe India needs. We are multicultural, and we have a future together. The faster people realise that, the better. We are destroying our youth, and our future.”
