Breaking lockdown rules to faking death: Poonam Pandey's weird antics
Actor-model Poonam Pandey, known for her controversial actions, stepped into the movies in 2013 with Nasha, co-starring Shivam Patil and Sheetal Singh. She has also been a part of projects such as The Journey of Karma and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 4, before emerging as a semi-finalist in the reality show Lock Upp. Pandey recently grabbed headlines for playing possum to create awareness about cervical cancer. On her 33rd birthday, revisit some of her other bizarre antics.
Promising to strip if India won the World Cup
One of the first times Pandey shot to the limelight was in 2011 when the ICC Cricket World Cup was in full swing. Back then, she penned a letter to the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), promising to strip naked if India won the World Cup! "If doing anything for Team India or for the nation is considered negative then what should I say." Eventually, of course, she wasn't allowed to go through with her plan.
Sharing a video from her bathroom
Pandey has always stayed in the limelight for her explicit photos. She subsequently grabbed headlines when a video of her dancing in her bathroom went viral on social media, making people wonder whether she had shared it intentionally to grab headlines or it had accidentally leaked. Video-sharing site YouTube sprang into action soon after and blocked the video before it could reach more people.
Breaking laws during the COVID-19 lockdown
Amidst the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Pandey found herself in hot water with Mumbai Police for breaking rules during a stroll with her now-estranged husband Sam Bombay. Per police, she was "roaming in her high-end car at Marine Drive without any reason." They were booked under Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 188 (disobedience of order duly promulgated by public servant), and under provisions of the National Disaster Act.
Her own app and fight with Raj Kundra
In 2017, Pandey launched the risqué Pandey App, which Google swiftly removed from the Play Store within an hour due to its provocative content, citing a "breach of content guidelines." On another occasion, in 2020, she reportedly filed a case against businessman and Shilpa Shetty's husband Raj Kundra for "unlawfully using her content" despite their contract already having ended. She also called out his team for making "obscene" calls to her for half a year.
Why does she do what she does?
Pandey once told IANS, "[I have seen] many girls in this industry who had worked with the Khans and the Kapoors, but people still did not recognize them as they know only Khans and Kapoors." "In such a scenario, it's very difficult to get your own identity, especially if you come from nowhere. Hence, to get that identity and recognition, I thought only controversy could help."