As International Yoga Day is celebrated across the world, an old post by Kangana Ranaut has resurfaced online. In the heartfelt throwback note, the actress spoke about the role yoga played in her sister Rangoli Chandel’s recovery following a life-altering acid attack.Kangana had shared how the practice became a source of hope for her family during one of the most difficult periods of their lives. According to the actress, yoga helped Rangoli regain confidence and reconnect with the world after years of physical and emotional challenges.
Rangoli’s long battle after the attack
Rangoli Chandel was just 21 when she became the victim of an acid attack. The incident left her with severe injuries and required multiple surgeries over several years.Recalling the painful period, Kangana wrote, “Rangoli has the most inspiring Yoga story — a road side Romeo threw acid on Rangoli when she was hardly 21, with third degree burns, half of her face burnt, one eye lost its vision, one ear melted away and a breast severely damaged, she had to go through 53 surgeries in 2-3 years but that wasn’t all, my biggest concern was her mental health as she had stopped to speak, yes no matter what happened she would not say a word just stare blankly at every thing [sic],”The actress revealed that while doctors focused on Rangoli’s physical recovery, her emotional well-being became an equally significant concern for the family.
A family struggles through the trauma
Kangana explained that the attack affected every aspect of Rangoli’s life. She recalled how her sister withdrew into silence and struggled to respond despite receiving medical care and counselling.Sharing more details, she wrote, “She was engaged to an Air Force officer and when he saw her face after the acid attack he left and never returned, even then she did not shed a tear neither she uttered a word, doctors told me she is in a state of shock, they gave her therapies and put her on medication for psychiatric help but nothing helped. That time I was hardly 19 years old, I did yoga with my teacher Surya Narayan and had no idea that it could help patients with burns and psychological traumas also with retina transplant recovery and lost vision,”The actress said she was still very young at the time and was searching for ways to help her sister heal.
How yoga became a turning point
According to Kangana, she began taking Rangoli with her to yoga classes. Over time, she started noticing positive changes in her sister’s behavior and outlook.Describing the transformation, Kangana wrote, “I desperately wanted her to talk to me, so I took her every where with me even to my Yoga classes. She started practising Yoga and I saw dramatic transformation in her. Not only she started to respond to her pain and my lame jokes but also regained her lost vision in one eye … Yoga is the answer to every question ( misery) you will ever have, did you give it a chance yet?,”
International Yoga day and its significance
International Yoga Day is observed every year on June 21 following a proposal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. The initiative later received support from the United Nations and has since grown into a global movement promoting holistic wellness.This year’s celebrations once again saw participation from several celebrities and public figures. Among them were Shilpa Shetty, Akshay Kumar, and Bhagyashree, who encouraged people to adopt yoga as part of their daily lives.