Babil Khan slams Poonam Pandey for 'faking her own death'

Late Irrfan Khan’s son Babil Khan, like many other celebs, is not happy with Poonam Pandey’s ‘dead from cervical cancer’ stunt, saying that this was the worst way to raise awareness about cancer.

Poonam Pandey, a 32-year-old reality TV star and former Bollywood actor, was said to have died on Friday.

In a statement that appeared to be from her management team, her 1.3 million followers were informed on Instagram: “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.”

Her team confirmed in media statements that Pandey had “bravely fought the disease” but had “tragically passed away”. “Her unwavering spirit amidst her health struggles was truly remarkable,” her manager, Nikita Sharma, told reporters, adding that there was a “critical need for increased awareness and proactive measures against preventable diseases like cervical cancer”.

Colleagues and co-stars posted about their sadness and grief on social media, and a flurry of obituaries were published.

Pandey then conceded in a video that she “didn’t die” and apologised to her followers for shocking them.

“Yes, I faked my demise. Extreme, I know. But suddenly we all are talking about cervical cancer, aren’t we?” Pandey said. “I am proud of what my death news has been able to achieve.”

“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.”

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A post shared by Poonam Pandey (@poonampandeyreal)

Poonam’s death hoax created a stir online as majority of social media users, including celebrities, called her out for opting for an extreme measure to spread cervical cancer awareness.

Like several celebs, making his frustration public, Babil Khan wrote on Instagram Stories on Sunday: “I don’t know what the f*** that was about Poonam Pandey’s demise, but it just feels wrong. I’m trying not to care but it is making me feel really angry. Awareness can be spread, faking statements of death should not be something that we rely upon to do so as individuals in a collective society.”

Babil Khan continued to write, “Bro long story short, this is the worst way to raise awareness about cancer and my intuition roars sensing malice. Please don’t f*** with cancer awareness.”

He has garnered praise for his performances in films and web shows such as Qala and The Railway Men. Babil is very active on social media and is recognised for his down-to-earth personality.

Poonam Pandey’s Husband reacts to wife’s stunt

While multiple celebrities were furious at Poonam Pandey’s fake death stunt. Her husband Sam Bombay referred to his wife as ‘India’s boldest woman’.

He further added that Poonam Pandey didn’t do it for publicity it was done for the noble cause of spreading cancer awareness among the people.

According to the World Health Organization, India accounts for nearly one-quarter of the world’s cervical cancer cases, with more than 200 women losing their lives every day to the disease.