'Shame on you': Celebrities slam Poonam Pandey for death hoax
What's the story
Model-actor Poonam Pandey is indeed "alive" but is currently facing severe backlash for faking her death as a publicity stunt. On Friday, a post on her Instagram handle claimed Pandey died due to cervical cancer. However, on Saturday, she posted a video online, claiming the death post was "meant to raise awareness about the disease." Her actions have been criticized as insensitive and distasteful by many in the film and television industry, including Aly Goni and Vivek Agnihotri.
Context
Why does this story matter?
A controversial figure, Pandey initially gained fame by promising to strip if India won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup final. Her journey continued with film roles in productions like Nasha (2013) and participation in the reality TV show Lock Upp. A purported recent interview video surfaced after her death post, wherein Pandey hinted at a "big surprise" for her fans. Moreover, Pandey's family being unreachable since the announcement of her fake death added to the mystery.
Outrage
'Death isn't a joke': Celebrities express outrage over fake news
Actor Sara Khan commented "wtf" on one of Pandey's posts. Esha Gupta said during the model's livestream, "From a child of a cancer survivor, this is not the way to raise awareness...this is ONLY a publicity stunt." Designer Saisha Shinde expressed disgust, saying, "You called this awareness? Shut the f*** up!" She added, "Death is not a joke! Death is not a publicity stunt!" Singer Rahul Vaidya shared similar sentiments, calling it a "new low of creating a sensational/viral campaign."
Post
My mother passed away due to cancer: Shardul Pandit's anger
Pandey's close friend and actor-RJ Shardul Pandit has also voiced his anger regarding her fake death publicity stunt. Taking to Instagram, he emotionally shared, "Meri maa cancer se mari hain (My mother passed away due to cancer)." He emphasized, "There are some things you cannot touch," breaking down while conveying his disapproval. Earlier today, the 32-year-old model publicly apologized for faking her demise. Acknowledging the anger of her close friends, including Pandit, she expressed remorse.
Twitter Post
Here's the post by Pandey
Actress Poonam Pandey is alive, issues video on Instagram claiming ‘awareness’ for Cervical Cancer pic.twitter.com/ImopsEx0H1
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2024
Appreciation
On contrary, Ram Gopal Varma supported Pandey
Filmmaker Agnihotri stated, "With the emerging challenges of [social media]...there should be some regulations." He said "normalizing sensationalism" was dangerous. Contrary to popular views, however, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma praised Pandey's intent behind the stunt. He tweeted, "Hey...no one can question your intent nor what you achieved with this hoax." "Discussion on cervical cancer is trending all across now. Your soul is as beautiful as yours," he added, wishing her a "long and happy life."