“I’m alive,” Bollywood actor and model Poonam Pandey said in a video on Instagram after a statement was put out confirming her demise, yesterday.
The actor put out two videos on her Instagram – in the first, she claims to be alive and talks about spreading awareness of cervical cancer. In her second video, she apologises to “those [she] hurt”.
Pandey says that she “faked her own demise” to start a conversation and create awareness around cervical cancer, saying that the “disease needed a spotlight”.
Netizens have been left enraged, with many saying that the method of creating awareness was distasteful – before comments were restricted on those posts.
The star will be going live on Instagram at 1pm to answer all questions and even has a website called poonampandeyisalive.com, where people can receive information on the deadly disease.