Poonam Pandey’s ‘demise’ turns out to be marketing ploy

Poonam Pandey’s staged ‘demise‘ on 2 February 2024 and her revelation the next day that she was alive and well was orchestrated by Hauterrfly, a Fork Media branch that calls itself the ‘millennial woman’s space’. Interestingly, its tagline on social media reads – Unapologetic | Proud | Opinionated.

The entire exercise was part of an initiative called #DeathToCervicalCancer meant to draw attention and raise awareness about cervical cancer, how it can be prevented and red flags one should guard against. While it was her ‘team’ that had posted a note about her ‘death due to cervical cancer’ on Friday, Poonam herself in an Instagram video that surfaced on Saturday morning said that she was alive but that it took her staged death to focus attention on the disease. Over 500 headlines across media carried the news of her ‘death’, and several ran stories on cervical cancer prevention, even recalling a former Bigg Boss contestant from the UK, Jade Goody, who had succumbed to the disease in 2009.

Did Poonam Pandey do the right thing?

Some have called the marketing exercise a smart move, saying Poonam’s collaboration led to an instantaneous manifold increase in awareness about cervical cancer, something not even a proposal (the FM disclosed a proposal for girls aged 9 to 14 to undergo cervical cancer vaccination) in the Union Budget 2024 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman could achieve. But many have panned the actor for manipulating public opinion in a manner that smacks of cheap publicity. Interestingly, most media accepted the news of her ‘death’ at face value, relying on her managers and team to ascertain facts.

Poonam, who went off the radar on Friday along with her family, emerged only on Saturday morning to post news that she was only part of this initiative. She has retaliated by saying that people follow her for ‘shock and awe’ and it is this that she has used to deliver a hard hitting message.

Will fans heed Poonam Pandey’s message?

On its Instagram page, Hauterrfly says, “Her bold act aims to spotlight the urgency of regular screenings, early detection, and the power of knowledge in conquering this silent threat. Join us in celebrating her resilience and spreading the crucial message.” The page directs readers to the website www.poonampandeyisalive.com where they can get get information about the disease and its prevention. Not many are impressed. The comments on the page are full of scathing attacks on the methodology employed to deliver such a delicate message. Unforgiving netizens are also lambasting Poonam for having taken them for a ride harking back to the times when Poonam has used similar ‘shock and awe’ tactics.

In an official note, thee model has now hinted that she will be ‘using the other parts of her person, personality and body in Service of Cervical Cancer’. Fans can only wait and watch.