For years, Poonam Pandey has been one of the most prominent names in the entertainment industry. While controversies often dominated the conversation around her, the actor says there is much more to her than the headlines. In this candid conversation, she reflects on fame, criticism, personal growth, and more.
Updated: July 30, 2026, 9:17 PM IST
Share Article
https://www.india.com/entertainment/exclusive-poonam-pandey-on-getting-a-controversial-tag-owning-past-mistakes-says-i-dared-to-be-myself-8488359/
Poonam Pandey (PC: Instagram)
For over a decade, Poonam Pandey has remained one of the most discussed personalities in the entertainment industry and on social media as well. Whether it was her bold career choices, headline-making moments, reality television appearances, or social media presence, she has rarely been far from public attention. But behind the image that people have come to associate with her is someone who says she has spent years learning, evolving, and growing through both success and criticism. Her public image has long been shaped by controversies and media narratives, but she believes there is another side to her story that often goes unnoticed. In this exclusive conversation with India.com, Poonam Pandey speaks openly about the label that has followed her throughout her career, the lessons she has learnt from her most controversial moments, what she looks for before agreeing to bold scenes, and why she now wants the focus to shift from controversy to her work as an actor.
Poonam Pandey reacts to the ‘Controversial’ label
For years, the word ‘Controversial‘ has almost become synonymous with Poonam Pandey. However, she says she never chose that identity for herself. According to her, the label was created by public perception and media coverage rather than by who she truly is. Looking back, she believes her journey has been shaped by difficult experiences that helped her grow into the person she is today.
Read more:
Poonam Pandey reveals truth behind viral baby bump post, says ‘maine socha war chal rha…’ – WATCH
She shared, “I think that label has followed me around so much, it’s actually become second nature to me by this point. I don’t consider myself controversial at all, and never really introduced myself as such. I am a product of my experiences, and I had to learn many lessons the hard way.”
If people are going to remember her, she wants them to think of her as a woman who dared to be herself rather than as a controversial figure.
Reinventing herself through every phase
Poonam Pandey says every phase of her career reflects a genuine version of herself. While the younger Poonam was fearless, ambitious, and willing to take risks, she believes she has now found a greater sense of peace and confidence. Today, she says she is no longer chasing validation but choosing happiness over everything else.
She explains, “I think that all of them were real because each of my Poonams represents different stages of my life. This one is fearless, impulsive, ambitious, and eager to prove herself because she knows that to stand out in such a competitive industry, it was necessary to take risks.
On the other hand, today I feel fearless again but, I am also more adult and serene about who I am, so I do not have to prove anything to anyone. Therefore, nowadays, I can be myself, earn money, and be happy about it.”
Poonam Pandey on finding her authentic self (PC: Instagram)
Poonam Pandey on controversies, criticism, and lessons
Reflecting on to the biggest moments of her career – 2011 World Cup controversy and 2024 Cervical cancer awareness campaign, Poonam Pandey says the intention behind the campaign was always to raise awareness about cervical cancer. While she is glad it sparked conversations around women’s health, she admits the execution could have been handled differently and says she has learnt from the experience.
She says, “The intention behind the cervical cancer awareness campaign was never to offend or mislead anyone. It was only to encourage people to reflect and start a dialogue on a topic that affects a large number of people but is not openly discussed. The fact that it did spark dialogues and opened many eyes is what I consider a successful outcome of the campaign.”
She further says, “I can also see how different messages could have been delivered more successfully. People were offended, and I am not oblivious to their criticisms. If I had the chance to repeat it, I would handle the execution part differently since it is always wiser to learn from experience and grow than to dwell on past mistakes.”
What makes her say YES to bold scenes
Although boldness has become part of her public image, Poonam insists it has never been the deciding factor while choosing roles. She says relevance, trust, and consent are now at the centre of every professional decision she makes.
Speaking about what kind of roles she wants to do, she explained, “Boldness has never been my priority. This priority was always the relevance of a particular scene. Does it contribute to the story in any way? Does it help to advance a character in terms of development, or does it merely exist to attract public interest?”
She says that, as an actor, she always strives to stay relevant and has become more selective about the roles she chooses. She carefully understands a director’s expectations and aims to create a positive working atmosphere on set. She also believes that trust has become one of her most important values, as it is closely connected to consent, making her careful about who gets to see what, when, where, and how.
Misconceptions about Poonam Pandey
Poonam Pandey on breaking the biggest misconception people have about her (PC: Instagram)
According to Poonam, many people assume her television persona reflects who she is in real life. She says she is actually someone who enjoys quiet moments with loved ones and wishes people would look beyond the headlines before judging her.
She said, “I think the biggest misconception is that my whole personality is what it shows on TV. People think I want to always be in the spotlight, doing scandals, but it is not true. In fact, I am a very sensitive and emotional person.”
Another misconception is that it is so easy to work in this business. She says that this is not true and people in this industry need to be really very strong and endure a lot of criticism from people who do not even know you. She believes that everyone is constantly developing and growing, so people should recognise the good in them and not criticise them too much.
Why she wants to be known for her work, not controversies
Poonam Pandey says she hopes the next chapter of her career will be defined by her performances rather than controversy. More than anything, she wants audiences to remember her growth as an actor and as a person.
She says, “I would love the headline to be about – ‘Poonam Pandey reinventing herself again and again and winning hearts with her performances, honesty, and hard work.’ I feel at this point in my career, people shouldn’t just talk about the controversy surrounding me. I want people to talk about my work, my journey, and who I am as a person.”
She saw the good and bad times – fame, failures, trolling, and love. It was all a part of her journey, and now she focused on doing quality work so that people can remember her in the coming years.
