Bollywood star Poonam Pandey alive, says she falsely announced her death to raise 'awareness' of cervical cancer

UPDATE: Poonam Pandey revealed that she's alive and that the statement announcing her death on her official Instagram page was only posted to raise awareness of cervical cancer.

"I am here, alive. Cervical cancer didn't claim me, but tragically, it has claimed the lives of thousands of women who stemmed from a lack of knowledge on how to tackle the disease," she said in another video posted on IG on Saturday, Feb. 3.

"Let's empower one another with critical awareness and ensure every woman is informed about the steps to take," she added.

ORIGINAL TEXT:

Poonam Pandey, a model and actress in Bollywood, has passed away. She was 32.

Her death was announced in a statement posted on her official Instagram page on Friday, Feb. 2, saying that she died after a battle with cervical cancer. "Every living form that ever came in contact with her was met with pure love and kindness," it read. "We would request for privacy while we remember her fondly for all that we shared."

According to Indian media, her manager Nikita Sharma shared that Pandey was diagnosed with the disease "sometime ago."

According to the National Cancer Institute, cervical cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cells of the cervix—the "lower, narrow end" of the uterus (womb) that bridges the uterus to the vagina (birth canal). The NCI said it "usually develops slowly over time."

Pandey took part in various modeling contests and graced the cover of fashion magazines in India. She also appeared in films and television shows like Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 4, Total Nadaniyaan, Pyaar Mohabbat Ssshhh, and Lock Uppp.