Shefali Jariwala: A look back at the life and career of the Kaanta Laga fame actor

India Today

5 hours ago

Actor Shefali Jariwala died at the age of 42 on Friday night. She died due to cardiac arrest, according to reports. Her husband, actor Parag Tyagi, rushed her to the hospital, where doctors declared her dead.Jariwala was known for her appearances in Hindi music videos, reality shows and Bollywood cameos. She shot to fame after featuring in 'Kaanta Laga' (2002) from the music album 'DJ Doll - Kaanta Laga Remix'. The actor also participated in the reality series 'Bigg Boss 13' (2019). Here's a glimpse into her life and career:advertisementShefali Jariwala's personal life and background
Jariwala was born on December 15, 1982 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She graduated from Sardar Patel College of Engineering, Mumbai, with a degree in Computer Applications. The actor got married to Harmeet Singh from the Indian musical duo 'Meet Bros' in 2004. The couple divorced in 2009. In an interview with Times Now, hinting at her relationship with Singh, she said, "It is very important to understand that you are not being appreciated. Not every kind of violence is physical. There is a lot of mental violence that also happens, and you are very unhappy in your life."Jariwala had also dated late actor Sidharth Shukla 15 years ago. The duo remained friends even after their breakup. In an interview with Bollywood Life in 2020, she had said, "Both of us are very logical people. Also, we have similar interests, we would talk about travel, space, bullet trains and whatnot. Even after we stopped dating, we were always cordial whenever we bumped into each other."advertisementThe actor later married Indian television actor Parag Tyagi in 2015.Shefali Jariwala's rise with music videosJariwala was famous for the music video 'Kaanta Laga' which featured her. The track was a remix of the classic Hindi song of the same name from the movie Samadhi (1972), composed by RD Burman and sung by Lata Mangeshkar. The actor gained recognition for her screen presence as the youthful energy of the song appealed to the audiences.She again reappeared in 'Kaanta Laga' from 'DJ Doll and The Return Of The Kaanta Mix Vol 2' (2004). Jariwala also reappaeared in 'Kabhi Aaar Kabhi Paar Remix' from 'Sweet Honey Mix' (2004). The latter was a recreation of the classic Hindi song of the same name from Guru Dutt's 'Aar Paar' (1954).Bollywood stint with Akshay KumarJariwala's instant fame in music videos also landed her a special appearance in 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi' (2004), featuring Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra. The actor also appeared in the song 'Naa Board Irada Bus' from the Kannada film 'Hudugaru' (2011).Reality shows and television careerThe 42-year-old was also seen in musical dance reality shows like 'Boogie Woogie' (2008), Nach Baliye 5 (2012-2013) and Nach Baliye 7 (2015-2016). However, it was her participation in 'Bigg Boss 13', hosted by actor Salman Khan, which got her immense recognition. Jariwala was last seen in the Hindi television show 'Shaitani Rasmein' (2024). It premiered on January 15, 2024 on Star Bharat and is digitally available on JioHotstar.advertisementShefali Jariwala on her healthIn one of her interviews with ETimes TV, the actor revealed that she first had an epileptic seizure when she was 15. She mentioned that stress and anxiety had caused her seizures. Jariwala said that due to an exercise regimen, she remained seizure-free and also attempted to combat depression.Mumbai police on cause of deathMumbai Police and the forensic team arrived at the actor's residence after her death. In their initial statement, they said, "Her body was found at her residence in Andheri area. Mumbai Police received information about this at 1 am. Her body has been sent to Cooper Hospital for postmortem. The cause of death is not yet clear (sic)."Jariwala's family and hospital are yet to release an official statement about her death.- Ends