Poonam Pandey's death hoax has created a massive uproar. While people were sending out condolences after the actress posted about her death on Instagram, turned out the death was a publicity stunt to spread awareness of cervical cancer. This has angered a lot of people. While the digital agency that was the mastermind behind the move apologised, it also tried to defend its actions by revealing how "Cervical Cancer" and related terms ended up becoming one of the most searched topics on Google.
Do you this wasn't the first time that someone faked their death? In 1994, Mahesh Bhatt faked Manisha Koirala's death to promote his film Criminal, starring?Nagarjuna, Ramya Krishna, and Manisha Koirala.
As part of movie promotions, Bhatt got "Manisha Koirala is Dead" published in a newspaper along with the poster of the movie, which was inspired by?1993 American film The Fugitive. For the unversed, Koirala played the role of Dr Swetha who was killed by a doctor.
While it remains unclear whether the actress who will next be seen in Heeramandi was aware of this in advance, it is reported that this death hoax angered a lot of people at that time as well. Despite this promotional gimmick, the film which had melodious songs by MM Keeravani turned out to be a massive hit.
Meanwhile, the digital agency behind this stunt?Schbang has apologises for their activity.?"Yes, we were involved in the initiative for Poonam Pandey to spread awareness about Cervical Cancer in collaboration with Hauterfly. To start off, we would like to extend a heartfelt apology - especially towards those who have been triggered as a result of having faced/having a loved one face the hardships of any kind of Cancer", it wrote on Instagram.
"Our actions were driven by a singular mission - to elevate awareness about Cervical Cancer. In 2022, India registered 123,907 Cervical Cancer cases and 77,348 deaths. After Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer is the second-most frequent malignancy affecting middle aged women in India," it added.
Furthermore, the statement added how the campaign resulted in making the topic one of the most searched topics on Google. "There was no change in people's curiosity regarding cervical cancer when our Honourable Finance Minister mentioned it no less than a few days ago during the Union Budget. This act by Poonam has now resulted in making 'cervical cancer' and its related terms the most searched topic(s) on Google. This is the first time in the history of this country that the word 'cervical cancer' has been on 1000+ headlines."
What's your take on Poonam Pandey's death stunt and Manisha Koirala's death hoax created by Mahesh Bhatt? Let us know your opinion on both these cases in the comments section below.