Kaanta Laga girl once rivalled Priyanka Chopra, then had no work in years: How epilepsy ruined Shefali Jariwala's career

IT was 2002, and the epoch of vocal remixes was near to touch its zenith. Thither had been the stray successful remixes from DJ Aqeel, but the trend had not yet hit its peak. It did that year, and the flagbearer was DJ Doll's 'viral' hit, Kaanta Laga. Part of the song's success was its smoking music video, featuring a 19-year-old Shefali Jariwala. The actor, who died on Friday aged 42, was meant to be the next big thing in showbiz, but a secret illness derailed that promising career.Kaanta Laga's success catapulted Shefali Jariwala to overnight stardom. Interestingly, a radio poll in 2003 listed her as one of 'breakout stars' of the year, alongside names like Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, and Shahid Kapoor, all of whom started their film careers that year. Clearly, that song made Shefali as popular as many Bollywood A-listers. It led to a film debut - a cameo appearance in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, in which she shared screen space with Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, and Priyanka Chopra.But after that was a period of lull. Shefali did not work in another Hindi film throughout her entire career. Her only other big-screen appearance was in a 2011 Kannada film titled Hudugaru. Even on TV, her only appearances were on reality shows like Nach Baliye and Boogie Woogie. Her only two acting roles on the small screen were in the 2018 web series Baby Come Naa and the 2024 TV show Shaitani Rasmein.Shefali Jariwala's battle with epilepsyThe reason behind this selectiveness was her constant battle with epilepsy. In a 2020 interview with the Times of India, Shefali revealed, “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 epileptic seizures that I couldn’t take up much work. I didn’t know when I would get my next seizure… this went on for 15 years.”Shefali revealed that she was first diagnosed with the illness when she was a teenager and battled it for the next decade and a half. “I had an epileptic seizure at the age of 15. I remember that at that time, I was under tremendous pressure to do well in my studies. Stress and anxiety can lead to seizures. It’s interrelated, you could get a seizure due to depression and vice versa,” she said, adding, “I have had seizures in classrooms, backstage, while on roads, and somewhere that lowered my self-esteem.”Shefali Jariwala's deathOn Friday night, Shefali showed discomfort at her Andheri home, following which she was rushed to Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital by her husband, Parag Tyagi. However, doctors reportedly declared her dead upon arrival.Even as the Mumbai Police has confirmed the news of her death, the cause of Shefali's death remains unclear. As per ANI, some sources suggest that she may have suffered a cardiac arrest. Her family has yet to issue an official statement regarding the circumstances of her passing.