She debuted as Mammootty's heroine, was diagnosed with cancer immediately after hard-fought divorce battle

Indian Express

18 hours ago

It's often said that you never know what's around the corner. In the case of actor and television presenter Jewel Mary, this couldn't be truer. Once a prominent face in the Malayalam entertainment industry and the go-to person to host major celebrity and award events, Jewel's life recently took a turbulent turn, affecting her emotionally and financially. Yet, she remains determined and is taking on every obstacle head-on. The actor recently opened up about the struggles she faced over the past few years, which included a tough divorce battle and a cancer diagnosis.
In what she once described as an 'arranged-cum-love marriage', Jewel Mary married Jenson Zachariah, a programme producer in the entertainment industry, in 2015. The couple parted ways in 2021; the divorce was finalised in 2024. Jewel revealed that the process was far from easy and that it was a hard-fought legal battle, which she eventually won.
'I fought a lot to get there. I have heard many people say that divorce is easy. But for me, it wasn't like that. I won after a hard fight. I fought for this for three to four years. If it's a mutual divorce, you can get it in six months. I tried for a long time to get a mutual divorce, but it didn't happen. In the end, it was a hard-won divorce. So you can call it a battle,' Jewel said in an interview with Dhanya Varma.
Finally free, Jewel decided to embrace life to the fullest and give herself the happiness she deserved. 'I thought I should enjoy life at least now. So I went to a show in London. I spent a month there. I have friends there. I went to see them. I went to England, Ireland, and Scotland. It was a thrilling solo trip. It was the pinnacle of happiness. I celebrated my birthday that year in London. After all that, I returned home. I came back after spending all the money I had. I know I will have to work again.'
She continued, 'I had a thyroid problem for seven years. My weight would change suddenly. Along with that, there was internal trauma, stress and PCOD. I went for a regular check-up one day. There were no other problems. When I coughed, a lot of phlegm would come out. I would always be clearing my throat. Since I am a presenter, I have to use my voice all the time. I thought that was the problem.'
'The doctor said let's do a scan. I have studied BSc Nursing. I can understand what is happening by looking at it. I understood when I saw them marking. My legs started to get cold. Their faces started to change. Then they said they would do a biopsy. My leg wouldn't move. They were frozen. I said no out of fear. They told me not to say that and that it had to be done. The doctor had hinted that it could be cancer. It would take 15 days for the biopsy results to come. Life slowed down. The doctor said that after the results came, we needed to confirm it once more. Another biopsy was done. All this time, I didn't show any fear in front of my family. I stood strong in front of them. When the second result came, I knew I was in trouble,' Jewel recalled.
In February, Jewel underwent a seven-hour surgery, after which she completely lost her voice. 'They said it would take six months. My left hand became weak. I couldn't do any activity. There was physio and therapy,' she said, adding that she had to use all her savings for the treatment as she had no insurance. 'After six months, I went for a review. The doctor checked my report and said, 'Congratulations, you are free of cancer.' The joy I felt at that moment is indescribable. Now I have to have a review every six months,' Jewel added.
Jewel first rose to fame as the co-host of the hit reality show D4 Dance, before making an enviable entry into cinema, playing the female lead opposite Malayalam megastar Mammootty in two back-to-back films, Utopiayile Rajavu and Pathemari. She then went on to appear in films such as Ore Mukham, Thrissivaperoor Kliptham, Annadurai, Njan Marykutty, Maamanithan, Paappan, Kshanikam, Antony and A Ranjith Cinema. Jewel Mary was last seen in Get-Set Baby.