Shefali Jariwala

Shefali Jariwala was born on 15 December 1982 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, into a Gujarati family. Her father, Satish Jariwala, was a chartered accountant, and her mother worked for the State Bank of India. She had a younger sister, Shivani. She had her first epileptic seizure at the age of 15, at a time when she said she was under tremendous pressure to do well in her studies.

She studied engineering in Information Technology at Sardar Patel College of Engineering in Mumbai. She later described herself as a middle-class girl who was aspiring to be a computer engineer when she was spotted and offered the music video that changed her life.

Her breakthrough came in 2002 with the remix music video of "Kaanta Laga" from the album DJ Doll, music by Harry Anand and vocals by Shashwati. It became a nationwide hit and earned her the title "Kaanta Laga Girl". She followed it with music videos including "Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar" (2004) and "Pyar Humein Kis Mod Pe" (2006, Meet Bros).

In film she played Bijli in a cameo in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and featured in the song "Pankaja" in the Kannada film Hudugaru (2011). She played Sarah in the ALT Balaji web series Baby Come Naa (2018).

On television she competed in Boogie Woogie (2008), Nach Baliye 5 (2012 to 2013) and Nach Baliye 7 (2015 to 2016) with Parag Tyagi, and entered Bigg Boss 13 as a wild card in November 2019. In 2024 she played Kapalika in Shaitani Rasmein. She said epilepsy was the reason she took on so little work in the years after "Kaanta Laga".

Jariwala married Harmeet Singh of the music duo Meet Bros in 2004. They divorced in 2009 following allegations of domestic abuse made by Jariwala. In August 2014 she married actor Parag Tyagi after a four-year relationship. They lived in Lokhandwala, Andheri West, Mumbai, with their dog, Simba. She had no children.

She spoke publicly and often about epilepsy, anxiety, depression and panic attacks, hoping to reduce the stigma around them. She credited medicine, yoga, fitness and positive lifestyle changes for her recovery. On fame, she told ETimes that being constantly judged and having no privacy was a struggle, but that "fame is a blessing if handled well", and she said trolls were only looking for attention.

"Kaanta Laga" is remembered as one of the defining Indian remix videos of the early 2000s, and Jariwala remained the "Kaanta Laga Girl" for more than two decades. Her openness about epilepsy made her one of the most prominent Indian celebrities to discuss the condition. Her sudden death at 42 started a national conversation about anti-ageing treatments, self-medication and the pressure on performers to look young.

No major awards are documented in the sources used for this page. Her recognition came mainly from popular acclaim for "Kaanta Laga" and her reality television appearances.

Music videos: "Kaanta Laga" (2002), "Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar" (2004), "Pyar Humein Kis Mod Pe" (2006). Film: Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004, Bijli, cameo), Hudugaru (2011, song "Pankaja"). Web series: Baby Come Naa (2018, Sarah). Television: Boogie Woogie (2008), Nach Baliye 5 (2012 to 2013), Nach Baliye 7 (2015 to 2016), Bigg Boss 13 (2019 to 2020), Shaitani Rasmein (2024, Kapalika).

After her death, police and media reports said she had been taking anti-ageing treatment for several years, which led to heavy speculation about glutathione and other injections. Her husband Parag Tyagi rejected these claims, saying their regular health checks had been normal and that glutathione was not to blame. He also said some people on social media tried to blame him for attention, but that no one questioned him in real life.

Shefali Jariwala died on 27 June 2025 at the age of 42. She became unwell at her home in Andheri West, Mumbai, collapsed at around 10:30pm, and was taken by her husband to Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival. Police said she had been fasting that day for a puja and had taken medication, including an anti-ageing injection, that evening. Five forensic doctors at Cooper Hospital performed the post-mortem and reserved their opinion pending histopathology and chemical analysis; preliminary findings suggested cardiac arrest after a sudden drop in blood pressure. Police registered an accidental death report and said no foul play was suspected. Her husband later said she died of a sudden cardiac arrest. She was cremated at the Oshiwara Hindu crematorium on 28 June 2025, and her ashes were immersed on 29 June.