India is reeling. First, from the news of actor Poonam Pandey’s “death” at age 32 to cervical cancer on February 2. Second, from the news of her being alive and well on February 3. It has been a rollercoaster ride of disbelief, anger and even relief.
It all began when the actor’s Instagram account put out a post on February 2 that read:
“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. In this time of grief, we would request for privacy while we remember her fondly for all that we shared.”
While some lamented about the frivolousness of life, others expressed doubts over the news. The patron saint of India’s journalistic ethics Faye D’Souza even bragged about how her organisation didn’t get baited since the news didn’t pass their “double-verified fact check.”
There were valid reasons for doubt. At 32, in the prime of her life, Pandey is an unlikely candidate for cervical cancer. There were also pictures and paparazzi videos of Pandey on the internet from a few days ago where she appeared hale and healthy.
Reddit was abuzz with theories. Given Pandey’s chequered past, a death hoax wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities. She’s been known to pull stunts in the past.
Some were also quick to highlight the choice of words in Pandey’s Insta obituary. There were no words that concretely pointed to the actor’s death. Using the term “lost” instead of “died,” does seem like a cop-out in retrospect.
There’s no denying that the news of Pandey’s death came as a big shock, irrespective of how one felt about the actor. It was personal, especially to those who have lost loved ones to cancer. Hence all the intense backlash against Pandey is justified to a large degree.
However, I also believe that Pandey’s death stunt was not in vain. One can question her motivations, but I choose to believe could be one of India’s most impactful weapons for cervical cancer awareness in India in the recent years.
An “un-cancellable” celebrity
If this was a legitimate campaign to create cervical cancer awareness, Pandey was the perfect vehicle. She has a large following and is often in the news and public consciousness. Given the level of notoriety associated with Pandey, there will be a lot of buzz surrounding the news of her death.
A stunt like this comes at a huge cost and a risk no mainstream celebrity will be willing to take. Only an “un-cancellable” celebrity like Pandey can weather the backlash that would follow. Make all the boycott threats you want, people will still watch her.
The age factor
The reminder that Pandey was only 32 when her “death” happened came as a rude shock to many. Young women are often led to think that no health scares can come in the early stages of life.
But if a woman in her prime can die suddenly, cervical cancer must truly be the “silent killer” it is made out to be, right? It mobilises women to take their health more seriously, undergo screening and innoculate themselves against the disease.
Spike in cervical cancer searches
It’s the age of trends and cervical cancer surely was having its moment in the sun on February 2 when the news broke. Google searches for cervical cancer in India saw an all-time high in 12 months.
News channels across the country saw gynaecologists on their panels during prime-time news, talking extensively about the disease and urging women to undergo screenings.
It usually takes the loss of a prominent celebrity to a disease to stoke conversations around the ailment. Something similar happened around the time of Parveen Babi’s death, putting paranoid schizophrenia in the spotlight.
Some of the impassioned backlash against Pandey can be justified since people have been feeling a sense of betrayal over the news. Death is not something to be joked about. However, I’d urge people to not miss the wood for the trees. The stunt may be in bad taste and an insult to people who have succumbed to cervical cancer, but it has succeeded in getting people to talk about the dreaded disease and mobilised women to take their health more seriously.
In that, we have a lot to thank Poonam Pandey for, since the stunt also came at a great personal cost to her. The trolling has already begun along with calls for “cancellation.” One can disagree as vehemently as one wants, but there’s also a degree of elitism that’s driving this vitriol for Poonam Pandey, given her background. Any global celeb, the likes of PC or DP, may have been lauded by the liberal media for their “bravery” as per usual.
I will die on this hill, but she’s the most effective weapon we had so far in creating awareness about cervical cancer.
Some fast facts about cervical cancer
- Cervical cancer is among the leading causes of cancer death among women and 4th most common cancer among women worldwide.
- Cervical cancer is preventable through vaccines.
- Risk factors of cervical cancer include an early age of first intercourse (<16 years old), multiple sexual partners, exposure to the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), smoking, compromised immune system, oral contraceptive use, etc.
- HPV is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact (during sexual intercourse and otherwise), hand-to-genital contact, and oral sex.
- Symptoms of cervical cancer include: abnormal bleeding after sex, between periods or after the menopause; abnormal vaginal discharge with unpleasant odour; tiredness and weight loss; pain in the abdomen and pelvis and when urinating
- Screening methods include Pap smear, visual inspection with acetic acid & Lugol’s iodine (VIA/VILI), liquid-based cytology (LBC) and HPV testing.
- Primary prevention and screening are the best weapons against cervical cancer.
- Patients with cervical cancer usually show no symptoms during the early stages.
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