Sooraj Pancholi is an Indian assistant director-turned-actor who works in the Hindi film industry. He is best known as the son of the Bollywood actor couple Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab. Sooraj made his acting debut with ‘Hero’ – a romantic action movie released in 2015.
The actor bagged the Filmfare award for Best Newcomer in 2016 for his performance in the first movie. Sooraj has a massive fan following on social media platforms with a whopping 1.8 million followers on Instagram.
Table of Contents
Who is Sooraj Pancholi?
Sooraj Pancholi (born on 9 November 1990) Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Sooraj Pancholi is a Bollywood actor, Model who appears predominantly in Bollywood films. He is the son of Bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi and actress Zarina Wahab.
Sooraj Pancholi Biography
Bio
Name
Sooraj Pancholi
Date of Birth
9 November 1990 (Friday)
Age (as of 2023)
33 Years
Birthplace
Mumbai
Profession’s
Actor and Assistant Director
Zodiac sign
Scorpio
Nationality
Indian
Hometown
Mumbai
Cast
Ahir
Religious Views
1. Jiah Khan (actor and model; died on June 2013) 2. Larissa Bonesi (rumored ex-girlfriend; actress)
Education & Qualification
School
Not Known
Education/Qualification
Class 12
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx)
in centimeters- 173 cm in meters- 1.73 m in feet inches- 5’8″
Weight (approx)
in kilograms- 65 kg in pounds- 143 Ibs
Eye Colour
Brown
Hair Colour
Black
Relationships & More
Marital Status
Unmarried
Affairs/Girlfriends
1. Grandfather- Rajan Pancholi 2. Sousin’s- Faris McReynolds (Los Angeles-based artiste and singer; his mother’s sister’s son) Natasha Pancholi Khatod (actress, producer, writer; granddaughter of Damodar Mahesh Pancholi who was the younger brother of Sooraj’s grandfather) Aditi Singh (actress; daughter of Aditya Pancholi’s sister Shraddha Pancholi)
Family
Father
Aditya Pancholi (actor, producer, and singer)
Mother
Zarina Wahab (actor)
Siblings
Sister- Sana Pancholi (restaurateur; image in parents’ section)
Other Relative’s
Favorites
Favourites
Actor’s
Salman Khan and Ranveer Singh
Shoe Brand
Roberto Cavalli
Fashion Icon
Saif Ali Khan
Film Director
Kabir Khan
Fitness Idol’s
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone
Career
Debut
Film (Hindi; As an Assistant Director): Guzaarish (2010) Film (Hindu; As an Actor): Hero (2019) as Suraj Kaushik
Awards
2015: Stardust Award for Best Jodi (Pair) of The Year (shared with Athiya Shetty) for Hero 2016: Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for Hero
Sooraj Pancholi Family
Sooraj was born on 9 November 1990. His father Aditya Pancholi is an actor, producer, and playback singer who works in Hindi cinema.
Sooraj’s mother Zarina Wahab is also an actress who majorly appears in Hindi and Malayalam films. Sooraj also has an elder sister by the name of Sana who is a restaurateur based in Goa.
Sooraj Pancholi Wife & Girlfriend
In 2013, Sooraj was in a relationship with Jia Khan, an actress. Jia acted in three Hindi movies and she rose to fame with Nishabd, a movie starring Amitabh Bachchan.
Later, in June 2013, Jia committed suicide leaving a suicide note blaming her strained relationship with Sooraj as the reason behind her death.
In May 2019, the media reported that Sooraj is dating Larissa Bonesi, a Brazilian model and actress for three years. Larissa has acted in a couple of Telugu movies and has portrayed the role of Anjali in Thikka and Roshini in Next Enti.
Sooraj Pancholi Education
Sooraj went to a Pali Hill school in Mumbai, which was once the most sought-after school by Bollywood’s elite class. Later, Sooraj joined an open school, but academics were not his priority.
Sooraj Pancholi Profession
Before entering Bollywood, Sooraj joined a prestigious acting school and learned acting lessons. Eventually, the star kid also learned dance as well as martial arts.
Later, Sooraj made his debut in the Hindi film industry as an assistant director. His first project was ‘ Guzaarish’, a movie directed by ace director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Later, he went on to assist director Kabir Khan in the movie ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ which had Salman Khan in the lead role. In the sets of ‘Ek The Tiger’, Sooraj got a chance to work closely with Salman and it proved to be the turning point in his acting career.
In 2015, Salman Khan turned producer with ‘Hero’, a remake of the 1983 blockbuster movie directed by Subhash Ghai. In the movies, Salman roped in Sooraj as the hero and he was cast opposite Athiya Shetty, daughter of actor Sunil Shetty.
Later, Sooraj went on to act in ‘Satellite Shankar’, a Bollywood movie directed by Irfan Kamal where he was paired opposite Meghe Akash. It was followed by ‘Time to Dance’, a 2021 dance film directed by Stanley D’Costa.
Besides movies, Sooraj has also appeared in a couple of music videos such as GF BF and Dim Dim Lights.
Sooraj Pancholi Net Worth
As per sources, Sooraj’s net worth stands at $5 million. Apart from acting, Sooraj also earns money through brand endorsements. He was roped in as the brand ambassador by German TMX, a company that deals with TMX Bars, MS Billets, and Sponge Iron.
Controversy
In 2013, he was interrogated by the Mumbai Police in the Jiah Khan suicide case. It is said that Jiah Khan was in a state of depression because of her falling career and spoiled relationship with Sooraj Pancholi.
Jiah Khan Suicide Case Timeline:
3 June 2013- Jiah Khan committed suicide, 7 June 2013- Jiah Khan’s sister found a suicide note from Jiah’s apartment, and from Jiah’s phone details it was observed that Sooraj was in a relationship with Jiah, and the letter was hinting at him.
11 June 2013- Sooraj was convicted under Section 306 of abetment to suicide and was subsequently arrested by the Mumbai Police
13 June 2013- Jiah Khan’s post-mortem report confirmed her death by hanging, and Sooraj was taken to the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai on 14 days remand
1 July 2013- Sooraj was granted bail by the Bombay High Court against a bond of Rs 50000
4 October 2013- Jiah Khan’s mother filed a plea for the CBI investigation
3 July 2014- High Court ordered CBI’s probe into Jiah Khan’s suicide case After a series of investigations, on 14 October 2017, Sooraj filed a plea at the Bombay High Court. In the plea, he requested an expedition in the trial proceedings. Jiah Khan’s case was transferred to a special CBI court in 2021. According to the session court judges,
“In the present matter; the investigation is carried out by CBI/SCB (which) filed a supplementary charge sheet. Special courts are established for the trial of cases exclusively investigated by the CBI. Therefore, in my view, it is necessary to transfer the present case to CBI court.” The case is still with the special court.
Some Lesser Known Facts About Sooraj Pancholi
Sooraj Pancholi is an Indian actor, who came into the limelight after the suicide of the British-American actress Jiah Khan (Sooraj was dating Jiah before her death).
His ancestors are from Gujarat, and he was born and brought up in Mumbai.
In 2012, he was an assistant director in the Hindi film ‘Ek Tha Tiger.’
Some of his Hindi films as an actor are ‘Satellite Shankar’ (2019), ‘Time to Dance’ (2021), and ‘Hawa Singh’ (under production as of 2022).
He has also appeared in a few Hindi music videos such as “GF BF” (2016) by Gurinder Seagal and “Dim Dim Lights” (2019) by Rahul Jain.
Sooraj has been featured on the covers of many popular magazines like Filmfare, Society, Stardust, and Exhibit.
During an interview, he shared one of his best memories from his debut film ‘Hero’ (2015). He said in a scene from the film he had to touch Aditya Pancholi’s (his real-life father) feet, and it was Sooraj’s first time ever touching his feet.
Sooraj is an avid animal lover. He has seven dogs at his home.
He loves to maintain his fitness and regular workouts in a gym.
He enjoys playing football and road cycling.
Sooraj Pancholi is often spotted drinking alcohol at parties.
F&Q
Where was Sooraj Pancholi born?
Pancholi was born on 9 November 1990 to Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab in Mumbai.
Who is the mother of Sooraj Pancholi?
Sooraj Pancholi’s mother, actor Zarina Wahab says that she had no expectations from anyone but God and he has finally served the justice in Jiah Khan suicide case.
Who is Sooraj Pancholi’s father?
Aditya Pancholi (born 12 September 1965) is an Indian actor, producer, and playback singer working in Hindi cinema.
When did Jiah Khan die?
Jiah Khan Suicide Case: The actress was found dead at her home in Juhu, Mumbai. New Delhi: A special CBI court acquitted actor Sooraj Pancholi in the suicide case of actor Jiah Khan. She was found dead at her Juhu home, in Mumbai, on June 3, 2013.
At Studymatarial.com, we strive to create a friendly, welcoming atmosphere for all of our visitors, regardless of age or background. We value feedback from our users, and appreciate any thoughts or suggestions that can help us improve the website experience.
