A public service ad on cervical cancer starring actor Sharib Hashmi from two years ago began trending again following model-actor Poonam Pandey’s death hoax recently.

“I thought I should just let my ad do the talking. I felt this was the perfect time to reshare the video. It’s great that people are liking it,” says the writer-actor, pointing out that there’s always a correct way to spread awareness for a cause.

The Family Man actor agrees that sometimes, the intention is right, but the way people spread awareness for a cause is incorrect. “That’s when, more than anger, I felt uneasiness and pity,” notes the 48-year-old about the stunt that saw Pandey put out an Instagram post on Friday, announcing her death from cervical cancer.

The actor, who has featured in The Great Indian Murder and Asur, goes on to reveal that he did the ad for his wife Nasreen, who is an oral cancer survivor: “I did this ad for her. She was diagnosed in 2018. Though it relapsed four times, she’s been cancer-free since April 2022. She’s a very strong woman.”

Hashmi says that while nobody needs a reason to support a cause, like he did — better discretion on social media is the need of the hour. “Celebs who have a huge following also have a bigger responsibility. They must use social media wisely for this purpose,” he explains, adding, “If I’m connecting with the cause and people associated with the advertisement, I always agree to do it.”