Sooraj Pancholi says ‘trolling, bashing’ in Jiah Khan suicide case got to him: ‘Couldn’t make eye contact with family’

Sooraj Pancholi shared that he feels people have misunderstood him, and thanked his family for supporting him during his low phase.

Actor Sooraj Pancholi's life came to a halt when he faced serious allegations in connection with the Jiah Khan suicide case. In a recent interview, he shared the impact of the prolonged legal battle, acknowledging that it exacted a huge toll on his life.

Sooraj was most recently seen in the historical film, Kesari Veer.

Sooraj shares

Sooraj spoke about how the legal case changed his life during an interview with SCREEN. Looking back, Sooraj said, "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.”

He shared that he feels people have misunderstood him, and thanked his family for supporting him during his low phase.

Sooraj shared, “Even during the low phase, I was always positive because I had people around me who were a good support system. Ups and downs are a part of a person’s life, not every day can be a happy day. 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. You have to be strong for yourself, there is no way out”.

About Jiah Khan and the case

Jiah Khan, best known films like Nishabd and Ghajini, was found dead at her Mumbai home on June 3, 2013, by her mother. Later, her then-boyfriend, actor Sooraj Pancholi, was arrested on charges of abetment to suicide.

The case was based on a six-page note that detailed her troubled relationship with Sooraj. The alleged suicide note narrated Jiah's ‘intimate relationship, physical abuse and mental and physical torture’ at the hands of Sooraj, which led her to take her own life, the central agency had said. Sooraj is the son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab. In 2023, Sooraj was acquitted of abetment to suicide charges in the case.

About Sooraj’s work

Sooraj was most recently seen in the historical action film Kesari Veer, directed by Prince Dhiman. The film also stars Suniel Shetty, Vivek Oberoi, Barkha Bisht, Aruna Irani, and Akanksha Sharma in key roles.