Death In Bollywood: Netizens Heartbroken After Watching BBC Docuseries On Jiah Khan's Death
Earlier this week, BBC released a three-part docuseries on late Bollywood actress Jiah Khan. Titled as Death In Bollywood, the series was released in the United Kingdom and attracted over 700k viewers on Monday night (January 11).
Jiah Khan passed away in 2013 at her Juhu residence in Mumbai. Her death is still considered a mystery and the British show attempts to follow the eight-year-old case. The makers had arrived in 2019 in Mumbai for conducting research and filming.
The official synopsis for episode one reads, "According to her family, various questions about the night of Jiah's death still remain unanswered. The police never found the tracksuit that Jiah was seen wearing on CCTV just 15 minutes before her death. They soon concluded that Jiah had been driven to suicide by her boyfriend. In Indian law, this is a crime, abetment of suicide, which carries a jail sentence of up to ten years. He denies the charge. Jiah's mother Rabia hires a private forensic investigator, who raises questions about the forensic evidence and suggests that the police may have been too quick to conclude this was suicide. She is determined to fight on for what she sees as justice for Jiah."
According to reports, Jiah's then-boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi was accused of abetting the suicide. Back in October 2013, on Bombay High Court's order the case was handed over to the CBI. The agency after the investigation, concluded that it was a case of suicide. In its charge sheet, they said Pancholi should be tried for abetting to the suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code.
Netizens after watching the first episode were heartbroken and took to social media to share their response. Some Twitter users also slammed Pancholi for allegedly pushing Jiah to take the drastic step.
Very sad documentary #DeathInBollywood . Very conflicted on which version could be the truth. The mothers behaviour over the years is very strange, very pushy and her response to her daughters rape at 14, not for her to brush under the carpet!
— Nuttytart (@chets14) January 12, 2021
The failings of the Mumbai Police & the CBI come as no surprise.
— BB Y (@ShafYarra) January 11, 2021
Missing tracksuit. Planted note.
No forensics. No data recovery from her mobile. Bruises on the body.
Rest of CCTV footage?#DeathInBollywood#JiahKhan #SushantSinghRajput#BollywoodMafia@BBCTwo @grainmedia pic.twitter.com/Mzw6FEENLD
#DeathInBollywood @ObserverUK @BBCThisWorld Thank u 4 the telecast of this much needed documentary.Bullywood has become a cartel of Drugs, child sex trafficking,Mafia activities.SSR’s/Jiah’s murders have brought a revolution in India & there is a Mass Boycott of this institution. pic.twitter.com/2e7B6fIcxO
— Roopa Dewan 🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@Roopadewan_) January 12, 2021
BBC2’s #DeathInBollywood was such an upsetting watch. I never realised the extent of it. Everything the showed which was not investigated... the tracksuit, phone history, the marks on her body. So, so sad. #justiceforjiah
— Priya Mulji (@PriyaMulji) January 11, 2021
Watched 3-part BBC documentary series #DeathInBollywood about #JiahKhan death:
— Asjad Nazir (@asjadnazir) January 12, 2021
- It's heartbreaking
- Many parallels with #SushantSinghRajput death
- Poorly researched. Lots of key information about case & those involved missing
- Indian police & CBI not participating is telling
Today I watch jiah khan's documentary in BBC iPlayer. #DeathInBollywood she didn’t take her life.Her life was taken by those devils who brutally killed her. We want justice4that beautiful&innocent soul.We r with her&her family. #JusticeForJiahKhan @JiahKhanJustice @smitaparikh2 pic.twitter.com/d0zyWWf6PH
— Roshni Gupta (@RoshniG19830581) January 12, 2021
My heart is so freaking heavy after that! Lets hope this year is the year for justice ⚖ 🙏 #deathinbollywood
— Sandi Hirani (@Sandi_H_xx) January 11, 2021
After watching the first episode of #DeathInBollywood - it prompts more Qs about #JiahKhan ‘s passing away than closure. As a viewer, even I’m asking the most basic Qs in the investigation, so wonder how Mumbai Police / CBI did such a “shoddy” job. Whatever! Rest in peace JK! 💔
— Raj Baddhan (@RajBaddhan) January 11, 2021
For those who don't know, Jiah was a British-American actress who appeared in films like Nishabd with Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan's Ghajini.