Sooraj Pancholi reflects on legal ordeal, says couldn't make eye-contact with family: ‘I never got to live my 20s'
Actor Sooraj Pancholi is currently basking in the praise for his performance in Kesari Veer. While he returns to the big screen as a more confident individual than when he began his journey, Sooraj has also weathered serious allegations in connection with the Jiah Khan suicide case. The prolonged legal battle cost him several crucial years, but the young actor says he takes pride in having stood up for himself. In a recent conversation with SCREEN on Dear Me, Sooraj shared that while the ordeal brought his family closer, it also robbed him of the chance to fully experience his 20s.
Talking about his present equation with his family, 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.'
Sooraj Pancholi also reflected on his once-strained relationship with his father, Aditya Pancholi. '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 learned from him was that no matter what, he was there for his children.'
Also Read: Sooraj Pancholi on Salman Khan's fondness for him: 'He did so much for me when I had no scope of any happiness'
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In June 2013, Sooraj Pancholi was arrested on the basis of a six-page note written by the actor. In the note, Jiah wrote about the 'trauma and abuse' suffered at the hands of her 'lover' (not mentioned by name in the letter). After Jiah's death, her mother and other relatives accused Sooraj of 'not respecting Jiah' and 'using foul language, hitting her'. These accusations were dismissed by Sooraj and his father, actor Aditya Pancholi.
Sooraj Pancholi was charged under section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code. The trial in the case began in 2019, and ended in 2023 with a special CBI court clearing the actor of abetting the suicide of Jiah Khan due to lack of evidence.
Sharing how much the incident changed him on a personal level, Sooraj shared, 'After everything that happened, I have not changed much. I was a person of few words back then, and I am the same now. I was emotional then as well as now. Not much has changed, I am the same person. I am very naughty off camera. People who know me know my sense of humor. Now, I am expecting good scripts and work coming my way. I don't want to go in that bubble of being a part of a big project; that is not my aim. I keep saying, I want to follow Ajay Devgn's career graph. I think he is not in the rat race, but doing his own thing, and I want to do something like what he has done for his career.'
When asked if he has been majorly misunderstood by people, Sooraj agreed and said, 'I agree 1000 percent. The media talking about it without any kind of knowledge of the truth added to it. I am very calm in life now; what has to happen will happen. Not everything is in your control, I just want to do my best as an actor, brother, boyfriend, and friend. I want to give it my all. The rest is up to God and destiny.'
'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,' the actor added.
Sooraj Pancholi further discussed how he lost out on his 20s majorly due to the allegations. He said, 'Career is a different thing. All my 20s went into suffering. I never got to live those years. Career would pick up at one point in life, that's not something I am worried about. I am very confident that I would do well, no matter which industry I am a part of. 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. Yes, I did lose out on work. I was getting offered films, but then not the ones I wanted to do. Perception is everything.'
Don't miss: Sooraj Pancholi reflects on facing a humiliating media trial, says Salman Khan asked him only once: 'Sooraj, have you done something wrong?'
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On a parting note, Sooraj said, 'I am very proud because I stood up for myself and still chose a path in a field that will keep bashing you, but I will prove everyone wrong, I know I will. I am very proud that I didn't run away from it and fought for it; I took care of myself and overcame it with faith and hope.'
Nawaz Kochra is an enthusiastic entertainment journalistic for the last 9 years, he has been a known face and successfully worked with some big publications. At IndianExpress.com, Nawaz majorly covers TV and OTT and also does video interviews. Having the best conversations with celebrities is what Nawaz loves. ... Read More
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