New Delhi:

Sooraj Pancholi is Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab’s son, who made his big Bollywood debut with the 2015 action-thriller Hero. Sooraj’s life turned upside down when his then girlfriend Jiah Khan mentioned in her suicide note how Sooraj used to physically abuse her and torture her.

Sooraj was granted bail in 2013 by the Central Bureau Of Investigation, due to paucity of evidence.The incident severely impacted Sooraj Pancholi’s career and public image.

Now with his upcoming film Kesari Veer, Sooraj Pancholi has been speaking to the media and making some revelations about his journey. One of them was him talking about his time as an Assistant Director on the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish. The film had Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the lead.

Speaking about how he mostly spoke about fitness with Hrithik, Sooraj Said, “We interacted very few times. The only time we connected was when we were in Goa. That’s where we had more time during the setup, and things were a bit more relaxed and delayed, giving the actors a chance to sit, rest, and chat. We were shooting songs there, so there weren’t any dialogues to focus on, which made it easier to bond. We mostly connected over fitness.”

He added, “At that time, I wanted a physique like his, so I kept asking him, ‘Sir, how long do you train for?’ or ‘Who’s your trainer?’ I was trying to get some of his secrets-watching what he ate, what his guy (I think his name was Shushil) was preparing for him, what kind of protein shake he was drinking, what workouts he was doing. It was kind of cute, looking back. He always called me ‘Champ.’ Even now, whenever he meets me, he’s really warm and kind. I recently saw him at Hakim Aalim Sir’s birthday party, and he was just as warm and friendly. I hope to work with him someday.”

On the work front, Kesari Veer will release in theatres on May 23, 2025. The film has Suniel Shetty, Akanksha Sharma, and Vivek Oberoi in key roles.