Zarina Wahab comes out in defence of her husband Aditya Pancholi in Kangana Rananut’s assault and exploitation case. “You can’t be in a relationship with someone for years and then suddenly accuse him of rape just because the relationship has ended, or because the other person has moved on. It’s just not right,” she said.
Actress Zarina Wahab has defended husband Aditya Pancholi after he was implicated in a sexual assault complaint filed by Kangana Ranaut, whom Mr Pancholi reportedly dated several years ago. “He has done no wrong,” Ms Wahab told Deccan Chronicle in an interview earlier this week, also commenting on the validity of sexual misconduct allegations made after the ending of consensual relationships. After several years of speaking publicly alleged abuse and assault by Aditya Pancholi, Kangana Ranaut filed a police complaint this year about having been ‘assaulted and exploited’ by the actor 13 years ago; Mr Pancholi has, in turn, filed a case of defamation.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Zarina Wahab said, “I know him better than anyone else,” she says. “He has never hidden anything from me. I know what has happened in the past. He has done no wrong.”
Ms Wahab also told Deccan Chronicle, “You can’t be in relationship with someone for years and then suddenly accuse him of rape just because the relationship has ended, or because the other person has moved on. It’s just not right.”
Zarina Wahab has never publicly censured Aditya Pancholi for his alleged affair with Kangana Ranaut. In 2017, she spoke exclusively to Pinkvilla about Ms Ranaut’s claim that she had reached out to Ms Wahab for help during the alleged assault. “There is no question of this happening. If she is dating my husband, why should she come to me?” Zarina Wahab told Pinkvilla. She also said, “I read Kangana has said ‘She (Zarina) used to treat her (Kangana) like a daughter…” This is completely untrue! When I knew she was dating my husband how can I say she’s like my daughter?”
Back in the year 2017, Kangana had levied allegations of assault against Aditya Pancholi in several interviews while promoting her film Simran. Kangana had also claimed that she had reached out to Zarina for help but in vain. When quizzed about the same, Zarina told Pinkvilla, “She was dating my husband (Aditya) for four-and-a-half-years so how can I say that she’s like my daughter? Impossible!”
Meanwhile, Kangana is gearing up for the release of her upcoming film ‘Mental Hai Kya?’ in which she stars alongside her Queen co-star Rajkummar Rao. The film, an Ekta Kapoor production, is slated to hit the theatres on July 26 this year.
