The now-acquitted Sooraj Pancholi recalls hostility, vicious internet abuse, and more, saying, “I was dismissed from projects… working films were stopped midway.” (Instagram credit for the image)
The Jiah Khan death case recently made headlines after Sooraj Pancholi was exonerated by the special CBI court of the charge of aiding in suicide. Jiah passed away in 2013; the actress was discovered hanged from her bedroom ceiling fan, and her mother Rabia Khan accused Pancholi of the crime. The actor now discusses the decade that has passed and how people have supported him after ten years of trial.
Sooraj recently confessed that for the past ten years, he had the impression that everyone was looking down on him, even though they weren’t. Continue reading to learn what he discussed, from encountering animosity surrounding the premiere of his breakthrough film Hero to being cut from projects.
Sooraj Pancholi, speaking about how to deal with Jiah Khan’s reputation after he was charged with her murder, said to ETimes (via Hindustan Times), “I felt caged, out of breath, and judged every day from the moment I left my home till I got back. Perception is crucial, especially in show business. I certainly arrived last and left first, in any case.
They definitely weren’t judging me, but I felt the same way, said Sooraj Pancholi. The worst feeling ever—the feeling that people didn’t want to be around me or be seen with me—was the relentless strain of this.
The “Hero” actor claimed that even though he was not employed in the film industry at the time the accusations were made, he encountered opposition when his debut movie arrived in theatres two years later, in 2015. Sooraj remarked, “I detected a little resentment and hesitation. Projects were cancelled for me. The films I was working on were abandoned in the middle. Every time I attempted to advance, violent online abuse and some false information in the media would hold me back.
Hero, Sooraj Pancholi’s first film, came out in 2015. His next films are Hawa Singh (2020), Time to Dance (2021), and Satellite Shankar (2019). (2023).