32-year-old Indian Bollywood star who ‘died’ is revealed still alive after faking her own death in publicity stunt to raise cervical cancer awareness
- Poonam Pandey, 32, was announced on Friday as having died of cancer
- But in a video today, she revealed to her 1.3 million fans that she is still alive
- The actress performed the scam to raise awareness about cervical cancer
<!–
<!–
<!– <!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
A Bollywood star and model who lied about her death says she is ‘proud’ of the publicity stunt and says it has helped raise awareness of cervical cancer.
Poonam Pandey, 32, was announced as dead of the disease on Friday in a social media message to her 1.3 million fans sent by her management team.
The Instagram post read: ‘This morning is a tough one for us. Deeply saddened to inform you that we have lost our beloved Poonam to cervical cancer.
‘Every living form that ever came into contact with her was met with pure love and kindness.’
The news was confirmed by her manager Nikita Sharma, who told local media: ‘Poonam Pandey, the beloved actress and social media personality, has tragically passed away this morning due to cervical cancer, leaving the entertainment industry in shock and grief.
Bollywood star Poonam Pandey says she is ‘proud’ of publicity stunt announcing her death, saying it helped raise awareness of cervical cancer
Just a day after the death announcement, the actress set the record straight with a video revealing she was still alive as part of a campaign to raise awareness about cervical cancer
‘Her unwavering spirit in the midst of her health struggles was truly remarkable.’
Sharma also highlighted the “critical need for increased awareness and proactive measures against preventable diseases like cervical cancer”.
News of her death was reported in media around the world, including MailOnline.
But just a day later, the actress set the record straight with a video revealing that she was still alive, Sky News reports.
Pandey apologized to his fans and said, ‘Yes, I faked my death. Extreme, I know. But suddenly we’re all talking about cervical cancer, right?
‘I am proud of what my obituary has been able to achieve.
“Unlike some other forms of cancer, cervical cancer is completely preventable. The key lies in the HPV vaccine and early detection tests. We have the means to ensure that no one loses their life to this disease.
“Let’s empower each other with critical awareness and ensure that every woman is informed about the steps to take.”
In a later post, she encouraged disgruntled fans to ‘express your frustration’ and added ‘bout this is not just a mask, instead I commit my whole body to the service of cervical cancer.’
Pandey, from Kanpur, India, gained notoriety when she promised to quit for Team India if they won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011.
She made her Bollywood debut in the 2013 film Nasha, in which she played the lead role of Anita – a tempting drama teacher who engages in a disastrous romance with a teenage student.
Pandey last appeared in the Indian reality show ‘Lock Upp’ where celebrities were kept in a prison and forced to perform various tasks to earn their freedom.
She has also starred in films like Love is Poison, Malini & Co and The Journey of Karma alongside a successful modeling career.
The post to Pandey’s 1.3 million followers on Friday read: ‘This morning is a tough one for us. ‘Deeply saddened to inform you that we have lost our beloved Poonam to cervical cancer. ‘Every living form that ever came into contact with her was met with pure love and kindness’
The model said on Saturday that she is ‘proud of what the news of my death has been able to achieve’