Jiah Khan Age, Death, Boyfriend, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Jiah Khan

• Jiah Khan was an American-British actor who worked in Bollywood. Her work in films like ‘Nishabd’ (2007) and ‘Ghajini’ (2008) captivated audiences and garnered acclaim. In 2013, Jiah committed suicide at her Juhu residence in Mumbai.

• Jiah’s father, Ali Rizvi Khan, deserted the family when she was about three months old. Throughout her upbringing, she grappled with deep-seated feelings of bitterness and animosity towards him.
  

  Jiah Khan’s childhood picture with her mother, Rabia Khan

  In an interview, Jiah talked about her father and said,

  A man who left his daughter when she was two, should be hanged in public.”

• In late 1989, Jiah and her mother, Rabia Khan, moved to London, the United Kingdom, from the United States. Subsequently, Rabia Khan got married to Thomas Puppendahl, who left the family when Jiah was about seven years old. In an interview, Jiah revealed that her stepfather not only took the family’s savings when he left but also managed to gain ownership of their home. This left Jiah, her mother, and her stepsisters in a financially challenging situation, compelling them to rent a home in London and live on a shoestring budget. Jiah further disclosed that there was a phase in their lives when they relied on McDonald’s burgers as their main source of nourishment.
  

  A childhood picture of Jiah Khan (centre), Kavita Khan (left), and Karishma Khan (right)

• Since childhood, Jiah had a passion for dancing, which began even before she reached the age of 6. Alongside her early lessons, she dedicated herself to mastering a diverse range of dance styles including reggae, belly dancing, lambada, salsa, kathak, jazz, and samba.
• Jiah was a proficient opera singer. She had recorded six pop tracks before turning 16. She talked about her love for music, in an interview, and revealed that she found creating songs even more enjoyable than performing them.

• Interestingly, Jiah Khan was Mukesh Bhatt’s first choice for the lead role in his film Tumsa Nahin Dekha (2004); however, Jiah backed out as she was only 16 years old at that time and thought that she won’t be able to justify the role; she was later replaced by actress Dia Mirza. Similarly, Ken Ghosh had Jiah in his mind for the 2010 film ‘Chance Pe Dance,’ but she was replaced by Genelia D’Souza.

• Jiah Khan changed her name from Nafisa Khan before making her debut in ‘Nishabd’ (2007) and changed it back to Nafisa Khan in 2012. According to her, she chose the name ‘Jiah’ after getting inspired by the title of the Hollywood film ‘Gia,’ which featured Angelina Jolie in the lead role.

• The release of the film ‘Nishabd,’ starring Jiah Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, sparked controversy due to its storyline. The plot revolved around an older man developing an infatuation with an 18-year-old girl, leading many to believe that the actors were endorsing a negative message to the audience.

• It was once claimed that Aamir Khan was the stepfather of Jiah Khan; however, in a conversation with the media, Aamir refuted these reports. He confirmed that while he maintains a close friendship with Jiah’s mother, Rabia, they were never married, and Jiah Khan was not his daughter.

• On 3 June 2013, Jiah Khan committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling fan of her bedroom at her residence in Sagar Sangeet Apartment, Juhu, Mumbai. She was laid to rest in the Santa Cruz graveyard in Mumbai.
  

  A picture from Jiah Khan’s funeral

• On 7 June 2013, Mumbai police found a suicide letter at Jiah’s residence that discussed her intimate relationship, physical abuse, and emotional and physical torment. In the letter, Jiah disclosed that she had an abortion with Sooraj Pancholi, the son of esteemed actor Aditya Pancholi, being the alleged father. The letter also revolved around the physical and mental torture that Jiah had been facing after being in a relationship with Sooraj.
  

  Jiah Khan’s suicide letter – Page 1

  

  Jiah Khan’s suicide letter – Page 2

  

  Jiah Khan’s suicide letter – Page 3

  

  Jiah Khan’s suicide letter – Page 4

  

  Jiah Khan’s suicide letter – Page 5

  

  Jiah Khan’s suicide letter – Page 6

• Following the discovery of the suicide note, Sooraj Pancholi was taken into custody on 10 June 2013 on charges of abetting suicide as per Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Mumbai High Court, however, granted him bail on 1 July 2013, stating that he could not be deemed solely accountable for the incident.
  

  1 July 2013: Sooraj Pancholi, along with his parents, after getting bail in the Jiah Khan suicide case

• Jiah Khan’s mother, Rabia Khan, has claimed that Jiah’s death was a murder and identified Sooraj Pancholi as the prime suspect. She also alleges financial misconduct involving money and jewellery. In an interview, Rabia talked about this and said that Jiah gave Sooraj a large sum to buy jewellery for her sister’s 21st birthday, but he neither procured the jewellery nor informed Jiah about the money. Despite apologizing and sending flowers, which Jiah discarded, she confronted Sooraj about the money; Jiah never divulged the confrontation’s outcome. Rabia also revealed that Jiah shared her apartment’s biometric lock with Sooraj, heightening her suspicion of his involvement in Jiah’s death. Conversely, Sooraj asserted that Jiah struggled with depression, and he had attempted to help her multiple times. He also claimed to have informed Rabia about Jiah’s condition, but she took no action, leading to Jiah’s suicide.

• On 1 October 2013, Rabia appealed to the Bombay High Court, claiming her daughter Jiah Khan’s death was a murder and demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the case. On 2 July 2014, the case was handed over to the CBI, which later filed a chargesheet against Sooraj Pancholi. In 2016, the CBI dismissed any foul play and informed the High Court that Jiah Khan’s death was indeed a suicide. Unsatisfied with the conclusion, Rabia enlisted the help of British forensic expert Jason Payne James, who asserted that Jiah’s death was not a suicide. Rabia later submitted a plea to the Bombay High Court, requesting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take over the case; however, the Bombay High Court dismissed her plea in February 2017.
  

  28 February 2017: Rabia Amin outside the session court in Mumbai

• In September 2017, Rabia Khan penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking justice for her daughter Jiah. She subsequently approached the special CBI court in Mumbai and filed a plea requesting further investigation into the case; however, the court rejected her plea.

• In 2021, Jiah’s case was transferred to a special CBI court after the sessions court stated it lacked jurisdiction due to the CBI probe. In 2022, the Bombay High Court dismissed Rabia’s petition, which requested a new investigation into the case.

• On 28 April 2023, the special CBI court in Mumbai acquitted Sooraj Pancholi in the Jiah Khan suicide case. In its judgment, the court said that Jiah Khan’s mother “destroyed the case of the prosecution” by giving contradictory statements and withholding facts. The special CBI court judge A. S. Sayyad, in his judgement, said,
  

  In the instant case it cannot be ignored that the deceased had suicidal tendency. She had on earlier occassion attempted suicide and that time accused had called for doctor. The accused had treated her and had tried to get her out of depression. At the relevant time the accused was pursuing his career in acting and could not devote sufficient time for the deceased. However on the earlier occassion, when she tried to commit suicide, the accused had saved her and helped her to come out of the depression. Rabia through her evidence tried to show that Jiah never committed suicide and that she was killed by the accused (Pancholi). However, this is not the case of the prosecution. When the case of the prosecution was of suicide, Rabia kept claiming that it was murder. By giving such openly contradictory evidence the complainant herself destroyed the case of the prosecution.”

• While reacting to the verdict, Rabia Khan, said that she will challenge the verdict in the high court. Rabia Khan, in an interview, said,
  

  The charge of abetment to suicide has gone. But how did my child die? This is a case of murder…will approach the high court. The verdict is on alleged suicide, but I have always maintained that Jiah was murdered. This, in fact, strengthens my case.”