Veteran actress Aruna Irani, whose illustrious career spans over 500 films and numerous television shows, recently revealed her private struggle with breast cancer, a diagnosis she faced not once, but twice. The 76-year-old star chose to confront these health challenges away from the public eye.
Recalling her first encounter with the disease in a chat, Aruna shared how she initially sensed something was amiss during a shoot. “Aise hi ek din shooting kar rahi thi, pata nahi mujhe kaise pata laga par maine bola ‘Mujhe kuch lag raha hai’,” she recounted. When she consulted a doctor, her concerns were initially dismissed as a minor lump. However, Aruna insisted on its immediate removal. Despite advice to undergo chemotherapy, she opted against it at the time. “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 explained.
Unfortunately, the cancer returned in March 2020, just before the onset of the pandemic. This time, she chose to follow the recommended treatment. “Meri hi galti thi, as pehle maine chemotherapy nahi lee thi. This time around I took it,” she admitted. Aruna also noted that chemotherapy treatments had improved by then, and while she did experience some hair loss, it quickly grew back. “Still you lose a bit of your hair but woh jaldi aa bhi jaate hai,” she added.
Beyond her fight with cancer, Aruna has faced other health scares. She developed diabetes at the age of 60 and on one occasion, doctors even informed her that both her kidneys had failed. Fortunately, she did not require extensive treatment and is in good health today.
Aruna Irani’s journey in acting began as a child artist in the 1961 film Ganga Jumna, where she played the younger version of Azra’s character. The following year, she appeared in Anpadh (1962), portraying Mala Sinha’s character as a child. In the subsequent years, she took on smaller roles in films such as Jahanara (1964), Farz (1967), Upkar (1967), and Aaya Sawan Jhoomke (1969).
