Sooraj Pancholi says legal turmoil ruined his 20s but brought him closer to his father Aditya Pancholi: 'We couldn’t make eye contact...'

Actor Sooraj Pancholi was recently seen in 'Kesari Veer' alongside Suniel Shetty, and the actor has been receiving positive responses for his performance in the film. However, behind the confident exterior lies a past riddled with emotional and professional turbulence, stemming from his alleged involvement in the Jiah Khan suicide case. The actor has now opened up about the issue and how his family stood by him during that time.


Sooraj about the legal battle
In a conversation with The Indian Express, Sooraj spoke about the toll the legal battle took on him, the dynamics within his family, and his path to rediscovering his purpose. Despite being cleared in 2023 by a special CBI court due to lack of evidence, the lengthy process altered the course of his youth.

Sooraj revealed how the tragedy brought him and his family closer. “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... We were not that close before the incident, but after that, it brought us very close,” he shared.




Sooraj's bond with father Aditya

He also redefined his bond with his father, actor Aditya Pancholi, during this period. “I was not close to my dad at one point in time, for known reasons. But after that, I understood him. He has been rock solid purely as a father for my sister and me. He was there for us, and something I learnt from him was that no matter what, he was always there for his children,” he added.

Sooraj further shared that the controversy not only affected his career but also cost him his entire twenties. He said he missed out on valuable personal time with family and the freedom to live without constant judgement. Although he received film offers, they weren’t the kind of roles he aspired to do, emphasising that public perception greatly impacted his opportunities.

About the issue

The allegations date back to 2013, when Sooraj was arrested following a note reportedly written by Jiah Khan, which mentioned experiencing “trauma and abuse” at the hands of her unnamed partner. Her family levelled accusations against Sooraj, which both he and his father strongly denied. The actor was charged under Section 306 of the IPC, with the trial beginning in 2019 and concluding four years later in his favour.

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