Son of veterans Aditya Pancholi and Zrina Wahab, actor Sooraj Pancholi has finally broken his silence and addressed the suicide of his ex girlfriend and actor Jiah Khan.
The actor who rang in his 28th year Friday, shared a long post on Instagram in which he addressed the six years long court case against him.
Posting a picture of a hand holding two candles, Sooraj wrote that he wanted to refrain from commenting until the case ended but because the case took longer than expected, he decided to share his thoughts about it on social media.
“Today I complete 28 years of my life. I want to take up this moment to share a few thoughts that have been in my heart for a while,” he began. “I wanted to wait to speak out until the case ended, but it’s taken longer than expected. I don’t know where to start from. It is difficult to express some feelings when so many people, so many emotions are involved.”
Sooraj thanked all those who stood by him in his difficult hour as he fought the case in courts “with patience and respect.” He said he has been called a murderer, criminal and an abuser in the process and it has made him and his family sad.
“First, I want to thank those who have stood by me like a pillar of strength. It has been a long journey that started when I was still trying to understand life. I have been fighting the case in court for the last 6 years, with patience and respect, waiting for the trial to be completed.”
He continued, “In this process I have been called a murderer, a criminal, an abuser and so much worse. I read these things about me almost every single day. And my heartfelt effort has always been to be strong, respectful and ignore it. But they still fill my and my loved ones’ heart with so much sadness.”
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Sooraj further said that he doesn’t blame those who call him names “because that’s how I have been portrayed in public.”
“But I’m not the monster that has been portrayed in headlines,” he asserts, adding, “I have been made to feel guilty without even being given a fair chance to prove my innocence. There have been accusations and assumptions but there has been no validation.”
He said he only wants to make him parents proud and has always tried to be a good son.
Pancholi concluded that he hopes the trial would come to a fair end, so that he can move forward.
“So today, I am praying with my heart that our family can move forward, that the trial can come to a fair end and that I can give back all the love, support and strength I have received from so many of you. Thank you to all of you who constantly send positivity my way. You may not know it, but every single one of your prayers has helped,” he signed off.
Actor Jiah Khan committed suicide in 2013 in her flat in Juhu, Mumbai, by hanging herself. She left a suicide note, in which she blamed Sooraj for ruining her life. Sooraj, who made his Bollywood debut in 2015 with the film Hero, alongside Athiya Shetty, was charged with abetment to suicide in January. The trial began on February 17.
Sooraj will be seen next with Katrina Kaif’s sister Isabella Kaif in Time To Dance.
