Model and actress Poonam Pandey, has announced that she is alive, contrary to her manager's earlier statement that she succumbed to cervical cancer. She posted videos apologising to her fans and followers for 'shocking' them.
"I am alive. I didn't die of cervical cancer. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the hundreds and thousands of women who have lost their lives due to cervical cancer." she said in a video posted on Instagram
"I am sorry caused this tear and I am sorry to those I have hurt. My intention: to shock everyone into the conversation that we are not talking enough about - cervical cancer," she said in another post.
Poonam revealed that her extreme act was intended to stimulate conversation about the often-overlooked topic of cervical cancer. She emphasized the success of her plan in bringing this disease into public discourse, stating, "Suddenly, we are all talking about cervical cancer, aren't we? It's a disease that silently takes lives, and it urgently needed the spotlight."
Acknowledging the unconventional nature of her approach, Poonam asserted, "Yes, the demise was faked, extreme I know." However, she stands by the accomplishment of creating widespread awareness about cervical cancer.
For those seeking answers or wanting to engage in a discussion, Poonam announced a live session on Hauterrfly.
Soon after Pandey shared the news of her being alive, she faced a lot of backlash on social media.
A user wrote, "Like dude death is a joke? You could have created awareness by multiple ways."
Several celebrities, including Kangana Ranaut, Munawar Faruqui, Daisy Shah, and Pooja Bhatt, had mourned her reported death. Kangana Ranaut, who hosted the reality show where Poonam was a contestant, had offered her condolences on Instagram. She took to the platform and wrote, "This was so sad, losing a young woman to cancer was a catastrophe. Om Shanti."
The 32-year-old rose to fame during the 2011 ICC World Cup when she announced that she would strip if India won the cricket World Cup. However, after India's victory, she chose not to go through with it, stating that she didn't want to break the law and considered it a publicity stunt.