A man staged his own death to observe the turnout at his funeral. Mohan Lal, a former Indian Air Force veteran, orchestrated a fake funeral in the village of Konchi, Gaya district, as a social experiment. Pretending to be deceased, Lal was carried in a coffin towards a crematorium to gauge the response.
The experiment was a success, with hundreds of mourners believing the 74-year-old had passed away, gathering in the village to bid him farewell. However, as the procession approached the crematorium, Lal surprised the crowd by revealing he was still alive.
Explaining his actions, Lal expressed a desire to experience firsthand the respect and affection people would show after his passing. Following his “resurrection,” an effigy was burned instead of his body, and a feast was organized for the entire village. Lal had previously donated a crematorium to the village, ensuring continuity during rainy seasons.
Recognized for his social contributions, Lal is esteemed and popular within the community, according to a local resident. In a contrasting incident in 2023, a Brazilian man, funeral director Baltazar Lemos, faced backlash for faking his own funeral to test the attendance of mourners, leading to disappointment and anger among those who felt manipulated.
Lemos sparked confusion by posting a photo of himself outside a hospital in Sao Paulo on Facebook, followed by a false announcement of his death on social media. He proceeded to organize a funeral service in Curitiba, Brazil, publicly sharing details on his social media accounts.
Opting out of data sharing and sale is possible through the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” option at the bottom of the webpage, as part of our commitment to using cookies and personal information responsibly.