“Disgrace, pathetic”: Pooja Bhatt, Vivek Agnihotri call out Poonam Pandey for faking her death

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Model Poonam Pandey, 32, is being condemned for faking her death to create awareness about cervical cancer. 

On February 2, Poonam’s manager claimed that the actress had lost her life to cervical cancer. 

A statement was also posted on Poonam’s official Instagram which 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 in contact with her was met with pure love and kindness.”

The news of her demise was circulated online widely, making many offer their condolences. Actors Kangana Ranaut and Karan Kundrra also expressed their grief. 

However, on Saturday, Poonam shared a video on social media announcing that she is alive and shared that she faked her demise as she intended to raise awareness about cervical cancer. 

“I feel compelled to share something significant with you all – I am here, alive. Cervical Cancer didn’t claim me, but tragically, it has claimed the lives of thousands of women who stemmed from a lack of knowledge on how to tackle this disease.

Unlike some other cancers, Cervical Cancer is entirely preventable. The key lies in the HPV vaccine and early detection tests. We have the means to ensure no one loses their life to this disease. Let’s empower one another with critical awareness and ensure every woman is informed about the steps to take. Visit the link in the bio to delve deeper into what can be done. Together, let’s strive to put an end to the devastating impact of the disease and bring #DeathToCervicalCancer,” she said. 

This particular action of Poonam has provoked outrage among her people. Many including actor Pooja Bhatt and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri have called out Poonam for her “disgraceful” stunt. 

“I never delete tweets but did so in the case where I expressed my shock at news of Poonam Pandey’s demise due to cervical cancer. Why? Turns out the news was engineered by a digital/PR team. Absolute disgrace & disservice to those battling the same-her included,” Pooja Bhatt wrote on X. 
“Actually, it was a marketing campaign for @thehauterrfly. Watch the end and the logo on right upper corner. How sinister, how pathetic,” Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri posted on X. 
Taking to Instagram, actor Shruti Seth also slammed Poonam. 

She wrote,” We have fallen into a dark abyss! The hunger for relevance and publicity has made us lose our dignity, our sense of self-worth and now our basic humanity. How desperate are we to be seen; that we will stoop to whatever level it takes just to grab headlines? Death is not a marketing gimmick!” 
Singer Rahul Vaidya on X wrote, “And I was right!! Now that poonam is alive I can surely say RIP PR/ marketing. New low of creating a sensational/viral campaign .. welcome to KALYUG.” 

While several fell prey to Poonam’s fake death news, some people were sceptical about the news due to her controversial image and reputation in public.