Poonam Pandey Using Her Platform for Controversial Good

Arissa Chen '27

On February 1st, 2024, the shocking news of Poonam Pandey's death at the age of 32 due to cervical cancer sent waves of shock across her fanbase. After this post was made, however, fans grew skeptical of its accuracy. Just a day after her death, she posted a video of herself, clearly alive and well.

This video explained that she staged her death to help spread awareness about cervical cancer. She had since deleted her post and later on left her audience with cryptic messages. One of these messages stated, “The Truth Shall Be Revealed Soon”. Then, on February 20th, she resurfaced once more. In a post following the previous events, she stated that in her efforts to spread awareness, albeit causing a spark of outrage in her viewers, she has still caused some good. She successfully spread awareness about cervical cancer.

Poonam Pandey's journey initially began as a model, as she quickly caught the eye of the public with her looks and confident personality. Her breakthrough came as she was among the top contestants in the Gladrags Manhunt and Megamodel Contest, which caused the launch of her career.

Later on, she transitioned from modeling to acting. Her role in the 2013 film "Nasha," where she portrayed a teacher in a taboo relationship with a student, caused the spark of debates among her audiences. Yet, she continued to land roles and make appearances throughout her career, including a memorable stint in the song "Shyane Ishta Cricketettu" from the film "Love Is Poison."

From launching an app featuring mature content to engaging in discussions about adult themes on platforms like YouTube, she continued to gain lots of attention through her many controversies.

In 2011, she made headlines with a bold promise to strip in celebration if the Indian cricket team won the World Cup— and much to the disappointment of some and relief of others, went unfulfilled. Yet, her alleged transgressions against religious sentiments truly ignited controversy, leading to protests and roadblocks that fueled her controversy as her platform grew.