An open letter to actress, model, and serial misinformation peddler Poonam Pandey over her death hoax.
It was an ordinary Friday when entertainment news cycle was dominated by the usuals – Orry, new releases, Hrithik Roshan, and box office. And then suddenly, a name many in newsrooms hadn’t heard in years re-emerged. Poonam Pandey was dead, an Instagram post on the actress’ official account claimed. She had fallen victim to cervical cancer, it claimed. Tributes were paid, obituaries were written, and even Kangana Ranaut posted her condolences. And yet, eyebrows were raised at the suspicious nature of the news and Poonam’s track record of insane PR stunts.
Anyone who doubted the authenticity of the news was called insenstive, at least for 24 hours. On Saturday afternoon, the bubble burst as Poonam returned from the dead, declared she was alive and that this was all a publicity stunt to raise awareness about cervical cancer. “I am alive, but I can’t say the same about the thousands of women who succumb to cervical cancer,” Poonam said in her video message, as a nation collectively facepalmed in second-hand embarrassment.
Dear Poonam, if you are reading this, congratulations on getting your 30 seconds of fame again. You have a penchant for it and smartness to get that time and again. Rejoice, you are relevant again. And I know you probably won’t be affected by the trolling and criticism you are rightly receiving for making a mockery of cancer survivors and victims’ plights. For you, all publicity is good publicity.
I know you will try to justify this by saying it was for a good cause, that you were trying to raise awareness about cervical cancer. But we see right through you. This has been your modus operandi for over a decade now, using real issues and problems to stay in the news and be some variation of victim or crusader. And that is why, your legacy will forever be of someone who cried wolf repeatedly in increasing degrees of desperation, till the world refused to take notice. And that day will come, sooner than you choose to believe!
If, by chance, this ‘campaign’ was not your idea, please fire whoever suggested this was a thing to do. Whoever managed to convince you that a death hoax that trivialises the suffering of cancer patients and spreads more misinformation in an already misinformed society is a good idea, does not deserve to work in communications. Surround yourself with better people, Poonam, and educate yourself on sensitivty. You are a smart enough person. Nobody can survive in an industry as cut-throat as this without some understanding of what the audience wants. If you can decipher that, you shouldn’t have any issues decoding what is right and wrong and what is grossly indecent (read: your antics).
So till we meet again, Poonam, because I know this won’t be your last rodeo. Some day in the future, we will read some other unbelievable piece of ‘news’ about you and wonder if we should publish it. One day, we won’t. That is the day the celebrity of Poonam Pandey will cease to exist.
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 "Poonam Pandey")
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