Sooraj Pancholi Talks About Missing His 20s, Family Time After Jiah Khan's Suicide, 'The Trolling..'

The tragic death of Bollywood actress, Jiah Khan in 2013 shocked the nation, but what followed was a decade-long legal battle that altered the course of actor, Sooraj Pancholi’s life, from public scrutiny and media trials to lost career opportunities and emotional setbacks. After his much-anticipated return to the big screen with Kesari Veer, Sooraj opened up on how Jiah Khan’s case affected his personal and professional lives. 

Sooraj Pancholi reflects on his life after Jiah Khan's suicide case

In June 2013, Jiah Khan was found hanging in her Mumbai apartment. A six-page letter recovered by police revealed the emotional pain, abuse, and trauma she allegedly endured from her ‘lover.’ Though unnamed, speculations pointed to Sooraj Pancholi, her last known partner. The actor was charged under Section 306 of the IPC for abetment of suicide. In a candid conversation with SCREEN, he opened up about how the turbulent phase transformed him. He said:

"I have not changed much… Not much has changed; I am the same person. I am very naughty off-camera. People who know me know my sense of humour.”

Sooraj Pancholi’s trial began in 2019 and concluded in 2023, with a special CBI court acquitting him due to insufficient evidence linking him to the suicide of Jiah Khan. However, despite no fault, he didn’t get to shine through in the industry all these years, and the whole incident severely affected his image. Sooraj shared:

"The media talking about it without any kind of knowledge of the truth added to it… Even during the low phase, I was always positive because I had people around me who were a good support system… The trolling, the news, the bashing, being pointed at, not getting work, being pushed on the side, seeing other people go much ahead of you, everything gets to you.”

Sooraj Pancholi got mired in Jiah Khan's suicide case as a suspect during his twenties, a vital period of any professional's life to find their career trajectory. However, due to the ordeal, the actor missed several entertainment opportunities and lost valuable family time. In his words:

"Career is a different thing. All my 20s went into suffering. I never got to live those years… But I lost a lot of personal time to spend some happy years with my family, to go out, or even think with an open mind, and not keep wondering what people would think of me or being judged.”

Sooraj Pancholi on his relationship dynamics with his family

Despite the painful ordeal, Sooraj Pancholi revealed that it brought him closer to his family. His bond with his father, Aditya Pancholi grew stronger, and his mother, Zarina Wahab, became his emotional anchor. With the case now behind him, Sooraj feels grateful for the renewed closeness and support within his family. He told SREEN:

"My equation with my family is better than ever now because there was a point in our lives where we couldn't make eye contact with each other and speak because there was so much pain each one of us was going through. Now we can look at each other and smile at the past. When something like that happens to a family, we, of course, get close. We were not that close before the incident, but after that, it brought us very close.”

Sooraj Pancholi began his Bollywood journey as an assistant director and made his acting debut in 2015 with Hero. He recently received significant praise for playing ‘Hamirji Gohil’ in the historical action film, Kesari Veer. 

What do you think about Sooraj Pancholi’s revelations? 

Read Next: Abhijeet Bhattacharya Talks About Varun Remaking Salman Starrer 'Chunari Chunari ', 'Tuchhi Cheez..'

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)