The shadow of Jiah Khan tragic suicide in 2013 loomed large over Sooraj Pancholi for nearly a decade, but a 2023 verdict by the CBI Special Court acquitted him of all charges due to lack of evidence. Now, Sooraj’s mother, veteran actress Zarina Wahab, has spoken out in his defense, offering her perspective on the young actor’s relationship with Jiah and the circumstances leading up to her death.
At the time of Jiah’s demise, Sooraj was preparing to make his Bollywood debut and found himself under intense scrutiny, particularly on social media, where he was harshly criticized for his association with the “Nishabd” actress. Zarina Wahab, reflecting on the ordeal, revealed that contrary to public perception, Sooraj and Jiah were not in a relationship at the time of her death.
Zarina disclosed that Jiah had tried to get in touch with Sooraj on the day she died, explaining that the actress was emotionally fragile after facing rejection for a Telugu film role. During an interview, Zarina recounted how she had advised Sooraj to end the relationship when Salman Khan decided to launch him in the film industry.
“I want to clear one thing that a lot of people think about Sooraj. When they (Jiah and Sooraj) were friends, Salman was launching him. Then I told him that Salman is going to launch you, (so) stop (this)! Then he went and told her, my parents don’t want us to meet and your mother also doesn’t want us to meet. So let’s break up.”
Zarina continued, explaining that Jiah had proposed they continue to meet as friends, a request Sooraj cautiously agreed to. “Then she said, ‘can I come and meet you sometimes?’ So he told her, ‘you can come and meet me as a friend but not as a girlfriend.’ The incident happened a month before their breakup. No one knows about this. In fact, she was going to South for a Telugu film around the same time in June. On the spot, she was rejected and she was very depressed.”
According to Zarina, the final day was marked by a tragic missed connection. Jiah, reportedly distraught, tried reaching Sooraj, who was occupied with a film-related class and unable to answer her call. When he finally saw her message, the worst had already happened.
“She (Jiah) was so depressed that she was trying to call Sooraj. But his classes were going on because of some shooting. He couldn’t take her call, and when he later saw his phone, he texted her, ‘I’m free now, if you want to call me, call.’
But by then, she had already passed away. And now everyone says he did this, he did that… It’s so wrong. The poor girl was really sweet, but only God knows what truly happened to her,” said Zarina Wahab.
Zarina also confirmed that the Telugu film Jiah Khan was hoping to work on was eventually offered to Rakul Preet Singh. Despite their breakup, Sooraj had remained supportive, even sending her a bouquet when she told him about her plans to try her luck in South cinema.
“Whatever happened, it wasn’t good, but people misunderstood. How many people can you go around explaining things to? But he (Sooraj) went through a lot,” Zarina concluded, expressing both sorrow and frustration over the years of speculation.
As Sooraj Pancholi attempts to move forward with his life and career, he is set to appear next in Kesari Veer, sharing the screen with Vivek Oberoi and Suniel Shetty. The film is slated for a theatrical release on May 23.
