I was Targeted Because I was Jiah’s Boyfriend: Sooraj Pancholi

Sooraj Pancholi, who was accused of abetment to the suicide of Jia Khan, is trying to get his life back on track when it comes to his career. He was launched in the film industry by Salman Khan in Hero, and after four years, he is back with his second film Satellite Shankar. While speaking to The Quint, the actor opened up about the struggles he went through and blames the media for his suffering.

So I want to ask you how has been the journey been from Hero till now because it’s been 4 years that your film has released. How has it been?

It’s been good. It’s been tough, it’s been rough but I think life without ups and downs does not make you feel special and you don’t appreciate things until that happens to you. So I am happy that I am coming out with Satellite Shankar now.

So you were just 21 when you went through the whole court case for Jiah Khan. How difficult was it to deal with and how has life changed from then till now because now you are 29?

I will be 29 in a month’s time. Of course it was really disturbing, it was upsetting. It was something that was not in my control because I was accused for something that I had not done and still nobody has anything against me, CBI or police. I mean evidence. They have no evidence against me and I had no role to play in this. I was only targeted as a boyfriend because I don’t know why over here something happens like that, a boyfriend is always, you know, blamed for it. And I was very young to even understand what was happening at that point. But I am brave because of my mother, my sister. They support me a lot. And I think I have just left it up to God now to heal it.

But like you said, you had the support of your mother and your sister. What about the film fraternity? Did they come by and stand by you?

A few people, yes. And see I have not been out there as a filmi kid you know. It’s not that I have always gone to filmi parties or this or that. I know a lot of people from the industry but I don’t expect them to help me because maybe if they were in the same situation, I would not know how to help them, So maybe they won’t know how to help me. Because it’s a situation that has been created by the media, it’s a perception created by the media. So no one knows what exactly is the truth or not.

Have you missed any film because people have not come up to you because of the case?

I guess so. I think so, yes. Because I tried doing a lot of other films but it didn’t really work out but I think everything has its own time.

About this case, how are you planning to take it forward? How are you gonna deal with it? Because it’s still ongoing?

I’ve left it to the court. I can’t say much about it. I want it to end and that is my aim. I am always there in the court for it to end. But I can’t help it until and unless the complainants don’t come to court, they don’t show up in court. They put a complaint on me, they put a charge on me but they don’t want to show up in court. It’s for their own reasons. I don’t know why they are scared to stand in the witness box because accused has no role to play.

And that’s why it is getting delayed?

Yes. Because I am the only accused in the history of India who has appealed in court saying that I want expeditious trial, to expedite my trial. Why am I the only accused in the history of India who has pleaded for this? And the high court has agreed to my plea. They have asked me to expedite. I mean they have asked the courts to expedite my trial. But till the complainants don’t show up in court, nothing can happen because courts can’t take the cases back. I am talking very technical. So this is what it is you know and people think I am the bad guy, I don’t know why.