How Shefali Jariwala dealt with death rumours and trolling after Kaanta Laga.
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When India thought that the “Kaanta Laga Girl” was dead
Before her tragic death at the age of 42, Shefali Jariwala experienced something that very few celebrities have to face – rumours of her own death.
In a heart-felt conversation last year on Paras Chhabra’s “Abraa Ka Dabra Show”, she talked about the storms that came in her life after the iconic song “Kaanta Laga” in 2002.
“Now I am thick-skinned, after spending 20 years in the industry,” she shared.
“The trolling that happened during Kanta Laga was of a different level.
There was no social media then – it was real trolling. Direct face, personal attacks. How to avoid this?”
Family’s reaction and rumours of murder
The bold music video made her a star, but also a target. Even her own family did not support her.
“My own relatives used to say, ‘What has this girl done? She has ruined the name of the family’,” Shefali recalled with some pain.
But the rumours became even darker than this. “People spread rumours that my brother killed me,” she said in surprise. “Even though I don’t have a brother!”
Cancer rumours and national news
The false news didn’t stop there. Shefali recalls with a laugh: “People said I got a tattoo, then got cancer, and I died. It became national news!”
Without today’s social media, it was difficult to quickly put an end to these rumours.
“Phones and landlines wouldn’t stop ringing, people were asking if I had really died. This was the funniest thing for me.”
The funny thing is that she didn’t even have any tattoos – only body paint for music videos.
“I got the real tattoo later, after all these rumours,” she added with a smile.
A different kind of trolling
Comparing her early experiences with today’s online hate, Shefali almost dismisses social media trolls.
“Anonymous trolling on social media doesn’t affect me anymore. I don’t care what a random guy sitting in Chandigarh says about me.”
His story shows how celebrity culture has evolved – from localized, personal attacks to the world of widespread but sometimes less personal online criticism.
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