Actor Varun Dhawan has issued a strong statement on the media’s handling of celebrity deaths, calling for a far more empathetic and sensitive approach. Though he did not specifically name anyone, the timing of his message follows the passing of actress and dancer Shefali Jariwala on Friday night.
Taking to Instagram Stories, Dhawan addressed photographers and news outlets directly. He wrote, “Again one more passing of a soul being insensitively covered by the media. I just don’t understand why do u have to cover someone’s grief everyone looks so uncomfortable with this how is this benefitting anyone. My request to my friends in the media this isn’t the way someone would want their final journey covered.”
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Following Shefali Jariwala’s funeral, her husband Parag Tyagi, visibly grief-stricken, appealed to the media for discretion. Flanked by police officers, he clasped his hands in prayer and said, “Meri pari ke liye pray kijiyega aap sab log, please.”
Security guard Shatrughan, who witnessed the events that led to Jariwala’s emergency hospitalisation, described the scene to NDTV. He revealed the basics of what unfolded late Friday evening. “Around 10:30 at night, Shefali ji was taken to the hospital. Before that, at around 9 PM, her husband Parag Tyagi came to the society on a motorcycle. I was the one who opened the gate.”
Shatrughan also noted that just hours earlier, he had seen the couple casually walking their dog in the apartment compound. “It was just like any other day… I couldn’t believe it when I heard on Friday night that she had passed away.”
What happened to Shefali Jariwala?
Shefali Jariwala was taken to Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital late Friday night by Parag Tyagi and three close aides. She was pronounced dead upon arrival. Initial media reports cited cardiac arrest as the cause of death. However, Mumbai Police confirmed that her body was discovered in her apartment and subsequently sent to Cooper Hospital for a postmortem examination. Authorities have said the official cause of death remains undetermined at this time.