In a deeply heartbreaking and shocking development, actress and reality TV personality Shefali Jariwala, fondly remembered as the Kaanta Laga girl, has passed away at the age of 42. The actress, who gained national fame through the early 2000s remix hit and later appeared on Bigg Boss 13, is said to have suffered a cardiac arrest late on the night of June 27.According to reports, Shefali was rushed to Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital in Andheri, Mumbai, by her husband and three others. However, she was declared dead upon arrival. The hospital receptionist confirmed the tragic news, stating, “Shefali had expired before she was brought in. Her husband and a few others accompanied the body.”“I want to be known as the Kaanta Laga girl till the day I die”Just 10 months ago, Shefali had expressed her pride in the iconic identity she had created through her debut music video. During a candid conversation on Paras Chhabra’s podcast, she addressed whether she ever tired of being known for Kaanta Laga.“Go anywhere—YouTube, interviews, even Bigg Boss—it’s not easy,” she said. “But you tell me, how much work does an artist do just to create one identity? Like Angry Young Man or King Khan. In my first project, it did that for me.”“There can be only one Kaanta Laga girl in the whole world, and that is me,” she added proudly. “I love it. I want to be known as the Kaanta Laga girl till the day I die. Even on my last living day on this earth, I still want people to remember me for that song. I’m very proud of it.”The remix that sparked an era and a cultural debateShefali also revisited the legacy of the song, originally from the 1971 film Samadhi, which was remixed and released in 2002—marking the start of the remix boom in India.“Kaanta Laga was one of the first big songs of the remix wave. It started a new era in music,” she recalled.During the same podcast, Paras Chhabra shared a personal anecdote from his childhood, recalling how he once got scolded by his mother for buying the Kaanta Laga cassette — shocked by Shefali’s photo on the cover. Laughing at the memory, Shefali defended the bold visual style of the video.“Top to bottom, I was fully covered! There was nothing revealing about that outfit. I was probably one of the most covered girls in that entire era of remixes,” she said.“It wasn’t about the clothes—it was the attitude. The girl in the video was bold, rebellious, reading a porn magazine, going to a nightclub, fighting with her boyfriend. That’s what made people uncomfortable. It was the energy, the boldness, the confidence. That’s what threw people off, not what I was wearing.”
An unforgettable icon of early 2000s pop cultureShefali Jariwala’s Kaanta Laga persona became a generational pop culture moment and earned her instant fame. Over the years, she also appeared in reality shows like Nach Baliye and Bigg Boss 13, and remained a beloved and respected figure in the entertainment industry. Apart from her music video fame, Shefali also made a notable appearance in the 2004 Bollywood film Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, starring Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Priyanka Chopra. She was seen reprising her popular song Kaanta Laga with Akshay, where her glamorous screen presence once again captivated audiences.She is survived by her husband, actor Parag Tyagi. More details are awaited.
