Priyanka Chopra’s father, Dr Ashok Chopra, lived a fulfilling life. But when he was diagnosed with cancer, he had to be flown to Boston for further treatment. Priyanka’s mother, Dr Madhu Chopra, recalled this trying time in their lives in a recent interview, and shared how Hrithik Roshan and Rakesh Roshan helped the family.
In a chat with the YouTube channel Something Bigger Show, Madhu said her husband’s diagnosis was the “most vulnerable moment” of her life. She shared that his health had some complications, and since she had family in America, she was talking to them about his treatment. “He was very ill. My brother said if you think he has five percent chance of survival, bring him to Boston. And that was another task, getting him on a plane, because none of the airlines wanted to take such a serious patient even though we gave disclaimers,” she recalled.
At this point, Priyanka was shooting for Krrish with Hrihik Roshan and Rakesh Roshan, who got to know of this problem and offered their help. “It just so happened that Priyanka was shooting Krrish with Hrithik and Rakesh Roshan, so she shared her worries with them. He asked her ‘why are you crying?’ and then both father and son made that possible for the airlines to take us. They helped us, put in a word, they knew people,” she recalled.
In the same chat, Madhu shared that Ashok did not want anyone to know about his illness, and wasn’t very open about discussing his worries with her. “He told me not to tell anybody, not in the family, we will go through it ourselves. That was the hardest time to see this mountain slowly getting weak and dealing with something. He couldn’t share his anxiety, his worries, and he was internalising it all. I felt I was being kept outside, but it was that he didn’t want me to be worried, which is why he was not sharing. I felt I am not being treated as a true partner. I didn’t know if I should fight it, understand it, or be gentle with him or be angry with him. That was a hard time,” she recalled.
Ashok Chopra passed away in 2013 after dealing with cancer for over eight years.
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