When Aditya Pancholi spoke about how he fell in love with Kangana Ranaut despite being married to Zarina Wahab; claims he gave her Rs 55 lakh to buy a house

Time of India

29-05-2025

Aditya Pancholi, known for roles in films like 'Dayavaan' and 'Bajirao Mastani,' faced controversy due to his personal life. Despite being married to Zarina Wahab, his relationship with Kangana Ranaut became a focal point. Kangana accused Pancholi of physical abuse, recounting a painful chapter that began when she was 17.
Aditya Pancholi
comes from a film family that owned Pancholi Arts, once the largest studio in pre-partition Lahore. He began his acting career with the TV show Shahadat in 1985 and rose to fame with Dayavaan in 1988.
Over the years, he played key roles in films like Yes Boss, Hameshaa, Baaghi, Race 2, Jai Ho, and Bajirao Mastani. However, his personal life often made more headlines than his film career.
A Married Man Linked With Many Actresses
The actor is married to former actress
Zarina Wahab
, and the couple has two children —
Sooraj Pancholi
and Sana Pancholi. Despite being married, Aditya has often been linked to several Bollywood actresses. Among these, his relationship with
Kangana Ranaut
drew the most attention.
The controversy escalated when Kangana accused him of physical abuse.
Living Together & Financial Support
When Kangana Ranaut entered the film industry, her relationship with Aditya Pancholi quickly became a hot topic. Despite being married, Aditya reportedly fell in love with Kangana, and the two even began living together. In a 2008 interview with Mumbai Mirror, Aditya claimed he gave her Rs 55 lakh in cash to help her buy a house.
Aditya Recalls How It All Began
Aditya also spoke about how his relationship with Kangana Ranaut began, describing it as close as that of a husband and wife. He claimed he was building a house for the two of them on Yari Road and that they lived together for three years at a friend's home. Recalling their first meeting, Aditya said he saw her on the road one rainy day when she approached him and introduced herself. He remembered that a mutual friend had once asked him to help her when she arrived in Mumbai.
According to him, Kangana kept calling him until he finally agreed to meet. At the time, he said she was a sweet small-town girl, and he eventually fell in love with her.
In the same interview, the actor also opened up about a troubling phase in his relationship with Kangana Ranaut. He claimed that during the shooting of Shakalaka Boom Boom, he discovered flirtatious messages sent by her to another actor. Aditya admitted that the messages upset him deeply, especially because she had used similar words with him in the past.
He confessed that this led to a violent outburst — the first time he hit her.
Despite the fight, he said they eventually made up afterward.
Kangana's Painful Account of Abuse
Kangana, meanwhile, has openly spoken about the trauma she faced during her relationship with Aditya Pancholi. She has described it as an abusive and painful chapter in her life, which began when she was just 17. Kangana once revealed that Aditya had physically assaulted her so badly that she was left bleeding, and she often tried to escape his control. She also shared that he would stalk her constantly. Hoping for support, Kangana approached Aditya's wife, Zarina Wahab, believing she might help her out of the situation.
However, she was disappointed when Zarina not only refused to help but also denied that there was any romantic relationship between Kangana and Aditya.
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