We’ve all morbidly wondered, “If I died today, who would actually show up?” Most of us just scroll through our contacts and guess. But one man acted on that curiosity in the most literal and utterly dramatic way possible.
Meet Mohan Lal, a former Indian Air Force veteran who recently pulled off one of the most surprising stunts of the year: he faked his own death just to find out how people really felt about him.
Weird? Absolutely. I’d say brave. You’d have to admit, there’s a certain audacity to it.
While the rest of us are left with hypotheticals, this 74-year-old reportedly went as far as orchestrating a full traditional funeral, all while secretly watching the reactions of everyone who showed up.
Talk about a plot twist.
How Did Mohan Lal Pull This Off?
Lal didn’t let a single soul in on the secret. He let the rumour of his death spread through his village in Konchi, Gaya district, and by the next day, the village had organised a full funeral procession.
His “body,” shrouded in white cloth on a bamboo stretcher, was being carried toward the cremation site by a crowd of genuine mourners who believed he was gone.
Midway through the chants and mourns, he dramatically sat up, very much alive, leaving the crowd stunned and confused.
Lal later explained to the surprised crowd that he wanted to see how many people would mourn him if he actually died.
“After death, people carry the bier, but I wanted to witness it myself and know how much respect and affection people give me,” he later told reporters.
To smooth things over, he held a communal feast, and to complete the ritual after he revealed himself, the villagers burned an effigy in his place, as is customary. When you’ve already faked your death, you might as well see the ceremony through.
What his “funeral test” actually proved
So, what did his extreme “funeral test” prove?
The reaction he received showed that he is, in fact, valued. People showed up. They marched. They prayed. They mourned.
However, his stunt also highlighted a brutal truth: we often receive more visible love in death than we do in life.
Lal wanted evidence of love, and he got it. Though his method is not one we’d recommend, his dramatic quest to test his relevance after death ultimately confirmed his relevance in life.
