What Happened to Jiah Khan? What was her Cause of Death?
by Ushapriyanga | Updated Apr 27, 2023
Who is Jiah Khan?
Jiah Khan, an English-American actress and singer, who worked in Indian films, was born on 20th February 1988 in New York City to Indian parents and was raised and educated in London. She moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in acting and made her debut in the film Nishabd in 2007. Her performance earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.
She gained recognition for her supporting role in Ghajini, the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2008. After a break from acting, she received acclaim for her comic role in Housefull, the fifth highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2010.
Tragically, on 3rd June 2013, Jiah Khan was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her bedroom at her family's residence in Juhu, Mumbai. Initially ruled a suicide, an extensive investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and a hearing at the Bombay High Court confirmed it as suicide in 2016.
However, Khan's mother still believed that her daughter was murdered by her boyfriend, actor Sooraj Pancholi, which led to a failed attempt by the prosecution to press charges of murder and sexual assault in 2017. Finally, on 31st January 2018, Pancholi was charged with abetting Khan's suicide, but the case remains unsettled.
What Happened to Jiah Khan?
Jiah Khan was a rising star in the Indian film industry, but her career came to a sudden end when she was found dead at the age of 25 in her family's Mumbai apartment. The question of whether her death was suicide or murder has caused a rift between two prominent Bollywood families.
On the night of June 3, 2013, Jiah planned to stay home and watch Game of Thrones while waiting for her sister Kavita's arrival from Heathrow. She had bought Kavita some gold jewelry earlier that day and they were texting excitedly. Jiah's mother, Rabbiya, left her alone in the apartment for dinner with friends and spoke to her on the phone at 9:37 pm. Jiah sounded relaxed and happy, but the next day she was found dead.
Jiah gained fame for her role in the Hindi film Nishabd opposite Amitabh Bachchan and appeared in two other movies. Initial reports suggested that she had committed suicide due to depression, a failed relationship, and the competitive nature of the industry. Tributes poured in on social media, but questions remained about what had really happened to Jiah.
What was Jiah Khan Cause of Death?
Jiah Khan's death in 2013 was believed to be a suicide, and her boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi was later arrested and released on bail for allegedly abetting her suicide. Jiah's mother testified in a special court that Sooraj used to physically and verbally abuse her daughter.
During a court hearing in Mumbai on Wednesday, Rabia Khan, mother of the late actress Jiah Khan, testified that her daughter had accused her boyfriend, actor Sooraj Pancholi, of physical and verbal abuse in the months leading up to her alleged suicide in June 2013.
Sooraj was later arrested and released on bail after being charged with abetting Jiah's suicide by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Rabia's testimony was given before a special judge presiding over Sooraj's case.
Jiah Khan Suicide Case
The verdict in the Jiah Khan suicide case is expected to be delivered by a Mumbai court on April 28. Special Judge AS Sayyad reserved the case for verdict after hearing the final arguments on April 20. The case began on June 3, 2013, when Khan was found hanging by her mother, Rabia Khan.
Pancholi was later booked for abetment of suicide and arrested by Mumbai police but was released on bail on July 1, 2013, by the Bombay High Court. Rabia sought to transfer the investigation to the CBI and pleaded that her daughter had not died by suicide but murder.
The CBI later charged Pancholi with abetment of suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code. The trial began in March 2019 after being expedited in January 2023, with the judge aiming to deliver the verdict on April 28.
Jiah Khan Suicide Note
“I don’t know how to say this to you but I might as well now as I have nothing to lose. I’ve already lost everything. If you’re reading this I might have already left or about to leave. I am broken inside. You may not have known this but you affected me deeply to a point where I lost myself in loving you. Yet you tortured me everyday. These days I see no light I wake up not wanting to wake up. There was a time I saw my life with you,a future with you. But you shattered my dreams. I feel dead inside. I’ve never given so much of myself to someone or cared so much. You returned my love with cheating and lies. It didn’t matter how many gifts I gave you or how beautiful I looked for you. I was scared of getting pregnant but I gave myself completely.”
The pain you have caused me everyday has destroyed every bit of me,destroyed my soul. I can’t eat or sleep or think or function. I am running away from everything. The career is not even worth it anymore. When I first met you I was driven,ambitious and disciplined. Then I fell for you,a love I thought would bring out the best in me. I don’t know why destiny brought us together. After all the pain,the rape,the abuse,the torture I have seen previously I didn’t deserve this. I didn’t see any love or commitment from you. I just became increasingly scared that you would hurt me mentally or physically. Your life was about partying and women. Mine was you and my work. If I stay here I will crave you and miss you.
So,I am kissing my 10-year career and dreams goodbye. I never told you but I received a message about you. About you cheating on me. I chose to ignore it,decided to trust you. You embarrassed me. I never went out,I never went with anyone else. I am a loyal person. I never met anyone with Karthik I just wanted you to feel how you make me feel constantly. No other woman will give you as much as I did or love you as much as I did. I can write that in my blood. Things were looking up for me here,but is it worth it when you constantly feel the pain of heartbreak when the person you love wants to abuse you or threatens o hit you or cheats on you telling other girls they are beautiful or throws you out of their house when you have
no where to go and you’ve come to them out of love or when they lie to your face or they make you chase after them in their car. Or disrespects their family. You never even met my sister. I bought your sister presents. You tore my soul. I have no reason to breathe anymore. All I wanted was love. I did everything for you. I was working for us. But you were never my partner. My future is destroyed my happiness snatched away from me. I always wished the best for you,was ready to invest what little money I had in your betterment. You never appreciated my love,Kicked me in the face. I have no confidence or self esteem left,whatever talent whatever ambition you took it all away. You destroyed my life.
It hurt me so much that I waited for you for ten days and you didn't bother buying me something. The Goa trip was my birthday present but even after you cheated I still spent on you. I aborted our baby when it hurt me deeply. You destroyed my Christmas and my birthday dinner when I came back. When I tried my hardest to make your birthday special. You chose to be away from me on Valentines Day. You promised me once we made it to one year we would get engaged. All you want in life is partying,your women and your selfish motives. All I wanted was you and my happiness you took both away from me. I spent money on you selflessly
you would throw in my face. When I would cry for you. I have nothing left in this world to live for after this. I wish you had loved me like I loved you. I dreamt of our future. I dreamt f our success. I leave this place with nothing but broken dreams and empty promises. All I want now is to go to sleep and never wake up again. I am nothing. I had everything. I felt so alone even while with you. You made me feel alone and vulnerable. I am so much more than this.
Jiah Khan Ghajini
Jiah Khan, born as Nafisa, was discovered hanging in her Mumbai apartment and had passed away before the arrival of the police. She made her acting debut in the movie Nishabd directed by Ram Gopal Varma, where she acted alongside Amitabh Bachchan. Jiah also appeared in the Hindi adaptation of Ghajini, in which she reprised Nayantara's role.
Her last movie was Housefull, directed by Sajid Khan, in 2010. After that, she received few offers for acting roles. Her sudden death has shocked and saddened friends and colleagues in the industry. The police have initiated an investigation as no suicide note was found, and the body has been sent for post-mortem.
Jiah Khan Age
Jiah Khan began her acting career at the age of 18, debuting in Ram Gopal Verma's film Nishabd in 2007. Despite mixed reviews and poor box office performance, Jiah's portrayal of Jia received praise from critics for her confident and seductive performance. She was even nominated for a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award.
Prior to Nishabd, Jiah was offered a role in Mukesh Bhatt's Tumsa Nahin Dekha at the age of 16 but declined as she and the director felt the role was too mature for her. Her last film was Housefull in 2010, and at the age of 25, Jiah passed away, with investigations into her death ongoing.
Khan's career took a downward turn in 2010 when she was replaced by Genelia D'Souza in the film Chance Pe Dance, which she had almost completed shooting opposite Shahid Kapoor. The director, Ken Ghosh, claimed that Khan was not doing her job well and had become too friendly with Kapoor. However, Khan later alleged that she was asked to leave the film because the director had a bad eye on her.
Despite this, Khan said she was happy to have left the film as it turned out to be a box office flop. Later that year, she appeared in a supporting role in Sajid Khan's Housefull, which received negative reviews but did very well commercially. Khan had also signed on for a few other movies, including Aap Ka Saaya, in which she was supposed to play Ranbir Kapoor's wife, but unfortunately, this film was never completed.
What Happened to Jiah Khan - FAQs
Jiah Khan was a British-American actress who appeared in Bollywood films.
Jiah Khan's debut film was Nishabd, directed by Ram Gopal Varma and released in 2007.
Jiah Khan acted opposite Amitabh Bachchan in her debut film Nishabd.
Jiah Khan was nominated for a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for her performance in Nishabd, but did not win.