The death of actress and Bigg Boss 13 contestant Shefali Jariwala on June 27 has left fans and the entertainment industry shocked. While initial reports suggested she suffered a cardiac arrest, Mumbai Police officials on Saturday morning (June 28) clarified that her body has been sent to Cooper Hospital for a postmortem, and the exact cause of death remains 'unclear'.
As the investigation continues, fans are remembering Shefali not just for her work, but for her resilience and openness about her health struggles.
When Shefali talked about epilepsy seizures
In a 2021 interview with The Free Press Journal, Shefali had revealed that she had suffered from epilepsy since her teenage years and credited yoga for transforming her life.
"I had my first epileptic seizure at the age of 15," she had shared. "Back then, I was not introduced to yoga. It was the gym that I was introduced to and that's where my fitness journey began. However, I have been seizure-free for over 20 years now and yoga did contribute to it because seizures are triggered by mental stress. It helped me by keeping my mind and body fit and in a way it also helped me with my condition of epilepsy," she added.
Shefali, who rose to fame with her 2002 music video Kaanta Laga, became a household name and later gained renewed popularity through her stint on Bigg Boss 13. Beyond her glamorous image, she often spoke about the importance of mental and physical well-being.
In the same interview, she had elaborated on how yoga had been a grounding force in her life. "It has helped me spiritually, physically and mentally. What started as a simple exercise for healing certain back pains and injuries, that I had developed because of dancing, has been quite a life-changing experience for me," she had said.
"Yoga has helped me physically to heal all my injuries and it has helped me improve my focus, concentration and has aligned the mind, body and soul together. Yoga has helped me control my stress and anxiety."
In another interview with Times Of India, she had spoken about not getting work due to her epilepsy seizures.
"After I did Kaanta Laga, people asked me why I didn't do more work. I can now say that it was because of the epilepsy seizures that I couldn't take up much work. I didn't know when I would get my next seizure...I am proud of myself because I managed my depression, panic attacks and anxiety naturally and with the help of a strong support system," the actress had stated.
