Sooraj Pancholi calls his Bollywood colleagues ‘cowards’, says Jackie Shroff and Suniel Shetty’s generation had actual unity

Actor Sooraj Pancholi, who recently made his Bollywood comeback with the period actioner Kesari Veer, opened up in a candid interview with Siddharth Kannan about a pressing concern he has observed within the industry — the fading unity among today’s generation of actors. Recalling a recent gesture of support he received, Sooraj mentioned Tiger Shroff, who turned up at the premiere of Kesari Veer after just a phone call. “I hope I make friends like this. Because these are the friends (possible) because our fathers were friends. His father, my father, Dutt sir and all of those people, that kind of pack. Because right now it’s fading away from the industry. There are very few people who will be actually there for you,” Sooraj reflected.

When asked why the current generation of actors appears more detached, especially when compared to the older generation who routinely showed up for one another, Sooraj didn’t hold back. “Everyone is scared to get into each other’s problems. Before, everyone showed up for each other, whether it was an accident or a fight, or some controversy happened, everyone was in it together. There was a protest against the media long back and everyone was there. If you do it now, it won’t happen. No one wants to affect anybody, nobody wants to take any pangaas, everyone is playing it very cowardly. Everyone is being a coward now. That’s what it is,” he said bluntly.

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Sooraj went on to name some of the stalwarts from the past who represented that spirit of solidarity: Jackie Shroff, his father Aditya Pancholi, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Vindu Dara Singh, and Ranjeet. “There is Mithun sir, of course he is a senior, and the biggest example of all this is Dharam sir, who is of course very old now, but at his time, I have heard he has even fought for his people. But now it’s not there. At least not in the actors,” he noted. Offering an observation about the performative nature of support in today’s times, Sooraj added, “Whether it’s somebody’s mom being unwell or in the hospital, yes, when you are a super-power, everyone will come to see you and be there. Because they know media is going to be there as well. But not otherwise.”

In 2013, Sooraj was accused of abetting the suicide of actor Jiah Khan, who was in a relationship with him at the time. The case drew intense media scrutiny and public attention, overshadowing his early career. After nearly a decade-long legal battle, he was acquitted by a Mumbai court in 2023 due to lack of evidence.