A day after announcing her death, Poonam Pandey emerged alive and healthy. According to Pandey, the faked death stunt was an attempt to draw public attention towards cervical cancer

Seeking legal action against Pandey, MLC Tambe said, “The news of Poonam Pandey’s death ultimately proved to be a publicity stunt. The phenomenon raises many basic questions. The first of them was the way the news was garbed as awareness. The news of an influencer/model dying of cervical cancer cannot be a means to spread awareness about the disease. The entire episode takes away the serious nature of Cervical Cancer and diverts the attention entirely to the influencer.” ”The actor has pulled a prank on the cancer survivors rather than raising awareness,” he added. Not only Tambe, but the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has also demanded an FIR against Poonam.