On February 2, 2024, actor-model Poonam Pandey hit the headlines when it was announced that she had died after a battle with cervical cancer. The next day, she released a video on Instagram, saying she was alive and she faked her death to raise "critical awareness" about cervical cancer. The stunt didn't go down well with people on social media and elsewhere, and many called out Poonam Pandey for resorting to a publicity stunt to seek relevance.
Actor-model Shefali Jariwala was also one of the celebrities who criticised Poonam Pandey for faking her own death. The actor-model, best known for her appearance in the iconic remix song Kaanta Laga, had shared an angry post against Poonam Pandey. At the time, Shefali Jariwala's father Satish Jariwala was undergoing treatment for stage 3 colon cancer.
What's Happening
- Shefali Jariwala, who died on June 27, 2025, had once criticised Poonam Pandey for creating a "fake drama of her demise" from cervical cancer. The Kaanta Laga star on February 3, 2024, shared an Instagram post detailing how she was affected after Poonam Pandey pulled the infamous death hoax.
- "Deeply saddened and hurt how some people can use CANCER for publicity. I can't believe how insensitive people are. I don't know Poonam Pandey at all, but the fake drama of her demise to cervical cancer deeply affected me," she wrote.
- Shefali Jariwala said she felt "scared" for her father who was under treatment for stage 3 colon cancer at the time.
- "...The last few months have been difficult as my father has been undergoing treatment for Colon Cancer - stage 3. Not being able to sleep all of last night and being anxious as f*#k makes me so angry. In the name of creating awareness pls stop playing with people's emotions! Creating awareness on a SM platform is one thing but faking your own death is so low... This is not a joke... cancer is not a joke!" she added.
- The actor-model had also shared a picture of her father from the hospital bed.
- "This picture is from November 2023, right after his second surgery this year. Love and strength to all cancer survivors and people battling it! Don't let this cheap publicity stunt shake you. You guys are warriors," she wrote.
In A Nutshell
In 2024, Shefali Jariwala blasted Poonam Pandey for making a mockery out of cancer patients by faking her own death in order to spread "critical awareness" about cervical cancer. As the daughter of a cancer patient, Shefali Jariwala took umbrage at Poonam Pandey's death stunt. Shefali Jariwala died on June 27, 2025. Investigation into her sudden death is currently underway, with the postmortem report expected soon.
Also Read | Shefali Jariwala Could Have Died Due To Low BP, Suspect Doctors: What We Know So Far
