Bollywood actor Ranvir Shorey has finally broken his silence on a decades-old, high-profile controversy involving his bitter fallout with actress Pooja Bhatt and her family. The topic recently roared back into public headlines after Pooja’s brother, Rahul Bhatt, opened up about the incident during a media podcast, admitting to a physical altercation that took place over twenty years ago. Following Rahul’s public admission, Ranvir took to social media to share his perspective, fiercely labeling the narrative that has circulated in the industry for years as malicious propaganda and digital slander. The public exchange has once again dragged one of Bollywood’s most talked-about early 2000s controversies back into the spotlight.
The decades-old dispute dates back to the early 2000s when Ranvir Shorey and Pooja Bhatt were in a relationship after growing close during the making of the film Jism. However, their romance turned sour and ended on an extremely bitter note in 2002, leading to conflicting accounts from both sides about what transpired behind closed doors. Over the years, Ranvir had maintained that he was wrongfully painted as an abusive partner and an alcoholic by powerful industry circles, while claiming that he was physically assaulted by Rahul Bhatt following an argument. During his recent podcast appearance, Rahul Bhatt admitted to losing his cool back then, confessing that he took the law into his own hands, smashed the actor’s car glass, and even broke his ribs during the heated confrontation. While Rahul expressed regret for overreacting and praised Ranvir for behaving decently by choosing to officially drop the case back then, the confession opened a fresh chapter of debate.
Reacting strongly to Rahul’s recent statements, Ranvir Shorey expressed relief that the truth was finally coming to light after two decades of facing unverified allegations. Taking to his official account, the actor wrote that he was glad over twenty years of malicious propaganda and slander had finally given way to reality. Providing his own clarification to put the matter to rest once and for all, Ranvir firmly stated that defending oneself against physical violence in order to escape a toxic environment does not amount to “hitting” anyone. As netizens and film fans continue to dissect the decades-old chapter across various digital platforms, the latest back-and-forth has brought closure to a dark phase while proving that some past industry scars take a very long time to heal.