The Bollywood star revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer last month.

Indian model-turned-actress Sonali Bendre has thanked her friends for being “pillars of strength” as she undergoes treatment for cancer.

The 43-year-old star shared a heartwarming post to Instagram to mark Friendship Day, which is celebrated on August 5 in India. The post featured two of her close friends, former Bollywood actress Gayatri Oberoi and interior designer Sussanne Khan.

“This is me,” Bendre started the post, revealing her bald head for the first time.

This is me. And in this moment, I am really happy. People give me strange looks when I say that now, but it’s true and I’ll tell you why. I am now paying attention to every moment, looking for every opportunity to find joy and #SwitchOnTheSunshine. Yes, there are moments of pain and low energy, but I am doing what I like, spending time with people I love, and feeling very loved and happy. I am extremely grateful to my friends, my pillars of strength, who at a moment’s notice, arrived to be with me and help me through this. In between their busy schedules they find time to visit, call, message, FaceTime… basically never leaving a moment for me to feel alone. Thank you for showing me what true friendship is. #HappyFriendshipDay, ladies. Blessed to have you all in my life (including the ones not in the picture… You know who you are) @gayatrioberoi @suzkr P.S. Nowadays I spend far less time getting ready because I don’t have to fuss over my hair! #BaldIsBeautiful #FindThePositive #OneDayAtATime Picture credit: @hrithikroshan

A post shared by Sonali Bendre (@iamsonalibendre) on

“And in this moment, I am really happy. People give me strange looks when I say that now, but it’s true and I’ll tell you why. I am now paying attention to every moment, looking for every opportunity to find joy and #SwitchOnTheSunshine.”

The actress continued: “Yes, there are moments of pain and low energy, but I am doing what I like, spending time with people I love, and feeling very loved and happy.

“I am extremely grateful to my friends, my pillars of strength, who at a moment’s notice, arrived to be with me and help me through this. In between their busy schedules they find time to visit, call, message, FaceTime… basically never leaving a moment for me to feel alone. Thank you for showing me what true friendship is.”

The star added that she now spends “far less time getting ready because I don’t have to fuss over my hair!”

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Bendre revealed last month she was battling “a high-grade cancer”, and undergoing treatment in New York.

“I’m taking this battle head on, knowing I have the strength of my family and friends behind me,” she said.

Her husband, filmmaker Goldie Behl, shared an update last week, revealing the star was “stable” and following treatment without any complications.

Bendre has also spoken about the challenge of telling her 13-year-old son, Ranveer, about her illness.

“As much as we wanted to protect him, we knew it was important to tell him the full facts,” she said in an Instagram post.

From the moment he was born 12 years, 11 months and 8 days ago, my amazing @rockbehl took ownership of my heart. From then on, his happiness and wellbeing have been the centre of anything @goldiebehl and I ever did. And so, when the Big C reared its ugly head, our biggest dilemma was what and how we were going to tell him. As much as we wanted to protect him, we knew it was important to tell him the full facts. We’ve always been open and honest with him and this time it wasn’t going to be different. He took the news so maturely… and instantly became a source of strength and positivity for me. In some situations now, he even reverses roles and takes on being the parent, reminding me of things I need to do! I believe that it’s imperative to keep kids involved in a situation like this. They are a lot more resilient than we give them credit for. It’s important to spend time with them and include them, rather than make them wait on the side-lines, not being told yet instinctively knowing everything. In our effort to protect them from the pain and realities of life, we might end up doing the opposite. I’m spending time with Ranveer right now, while he’s on summer vacation. His madness and shenanigans help me #SwitchOnTheSunshine. And today, we derive strength from each other #OneDayAtATime

A post shared by Sonali Bendre (@iamsonalibendre) on

“We’ve always been open and honest with him and this time it wasn’t going to be different. He took the news so maturely… and instantly became a source of strength and positivity for me. In some situations now, he even reverses roles and takes on being the parent, reminding me of things I need to do!”

The actress has been using the hashtag #SwitchOnTheSunshine to document her cancer journey and her efforts to remain positive during this difficult time.

In the words of my favourite author Isabel Allende, “We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome.” The outpouring of love I’ve received in the last few days has been so overwhelming… and I’m especially grateful to those of you who shared stories of your experiences in dealing with cancer, whether it was your own or of loved ones. Your stories have given me an extra dosage of strength and courage, and more importantly, the knowledge that I’m not alone. Each day comes with its own challenges and victories and so for now, I’m taking this #OneDayAtATime. The only thing I’m trying to be consistent about is maintaining a positive outlook… literally #SwitchOnTheSunshine – it’s my way of dealing with this. Sharing my journey is also part of this process… I can only hope it reminds you that all is not lost and that someone, somewhere understands what you’re going through. Thank you @tomoarakawa for making this a chic transition from long to short!

A post shared by Sonali Bendre (@iamsonalibendre) on

We’re wishing Sonali a speedy recovery.

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Images: Instagram