Poonam Pandey’s Death Hoax: A Failed Attempt to Raise Cervical Cancer Awareness

Poonam Pandey, a controversial actress, recently faked her death to spread awareness about cervical cancer. The news of her death went viral on social media, as she stayed silent for a day. She then reappeared on social media to talk about cervical cancer. However, her stunt backfired, as many celebrities and netizens slammed her for using such a distasteful and insensitive method to highlight an important cause.

Gurpreet Singh: The news of Poonam Pandey’s staged death is unfortunate and concerning. It is ethically questionable to use false information, especially related to someone’s death, to raise awareness about cervical cancer. It undermines the seriousness of the issue and misuses the social media platform. The means to create awareness should be transparent and respectful. The incident also raises concerns about the credibility of news in the age of social media. It emphasises the need for responsible sharing and fact-checking. Staging one’s death for publicity is a drastic and insensitive measure. It may overshadow the genuine concerns surrounding the issue.

Yashashri Masurkar: Poonam’s actions should be condemned, as they are playing with people’s emotions. I was shocked when I heard the news, and I am not even a fan. This has happened in the past, when death news surfaces when people are sick or recovering from a disease, which is wrong. But this one was in a bad taste.

Sheeba Akashdeep: I thought this kind of stunt was in very poor taste. Some people are very badly affected by the ‘C’ word. To use it shallowly for a campaign, even if it is to create awareness, is not a nice thing. Awareness could have been created with posts with celebrities. No celebrity would have said no to create an awareness campaign for something that is important to women. So, this was a new kind of a low, and it was very insensitive and not called for. The media also needs to be more vigilant and careful when they report news. They need to get their facts checked before making things viral online.

Deepika Motwani: What she has done is very distasteful. It’s disgraceful to the cervical cancer patients and the families who have lost their loved ones to cervical cancer. The worse part is that there is probably a ‘team’, who has supported this idea and played along without any responsibility. There are better ways to send a message and show concern.

Rinku Dhawan: Rinku Dhawan, a popular TV actress, said that she did not think it was right to use the term ‘stunt’ when promoting cervical cancer awareness. She said that it was not funny because many people were struggling with this in their lives. She said that it sent the wrong message and diminished the hope that kept them going. She said that whether it was a publicity stunt or a promotion gimmick, the approach was not great. She said that if it was meant to raise awareness, it should have been done with sensitivity. She said that it was not a good feeling and not a joke or an appropriate way to promote something. She said that they should have been more considerate, acknowledging that some people were dealing with serious health issues. She said that it was like telling them they were going to die, which was harsh. She said that having witnessed the challenges faced by those dealing with cancer, she did not appreciate this approach. She said that it seemed like a poor thought, not just a publicity stunt or a funny way to grab attention. She said that going to such lengths was just too low.

Monika Singh:  Monika Singh, a model and actress, said that she had a feeling that Poonam Pandey was faking it from the beginning. She said that she would not say she was right or wrong because everyone had their own perspective. She said that for her, it was not about whether she was right or wrong; it was more about the method she chose to spread awareness. She said that it might not be the right approach, but they should look at the positive side. She said that before this incident, many people, including herself, did not know much about cervical cancer. She said that now, more people were aware, and some were even considering the vaccine. She said that sure, her actions may have hurt sensitive individuals, but they should not be overly sensitive to the point of missing the bigger picture. She said that people knew she might be faking it, but why were they investing so much energy in it? She said that some were exceptionally sensitive, and others might have personal reasons, but they should understand that if Poonam Pandey did this, what harm or benefit did it cause her? She said that it was not for publicity; she already had fame. She said that the real gain was that people were now aware of this disease and were thinking about it. She said that now, people were questioning those who claimed they did not know about it, saying it was spreading on social media. She said that in her view, it might be wrong or right, she did not know. But, she said that the outcome was not harmful; it had brought attention to the existence of such diseases. She said that social media and the media often twisted things, and it was unclear if someone had a hidden agenda. But, she said that it had not caused any real harm; in fact, it had raised awareness about a disease many were unaware of.

Aadesh Chaudhary: Aadesh Chaudhary, a TV actor, said that this was not the right way to handle things. He said that it seemed like a publicity stunt, and that was why such actions often led to a bad reputation. He said that when individuals engaged in such activities, it reflected poorly on the entire community or industry. He said that he did not appreciate it, and it was not a good approach. He said that there was a story about a village where someone used to shout, “The lion is coming!” He said that initially, people thought he was making everyone fool, but when a real lion came, no one took him seriously. He said that it was a similar situation. He said that if such incidents continued, people would not know what was true or false in the news. He said that this kind of behavior was not good for anyone.