Actor Ranvir Shorey has responded to claims that he hit his former partner Pooja Bhatt during an argument more than two decades ago, saying he was defending himself against violence. Shorey made the remarks on X a day after Pooja Bhatt’s brother Rahul Bhatt spoke publicly about the incident during a podcast. The actor said the account of what happened had been subject to what he described as years of “malicious propaganda and slander”.

Sharing a news report about Rahul Bhatt’s comments, Shorey wrote on X that he wanted to add what he described as a “missing piece” to the account. He said, “defending yourself against violence to escape someone toxic is not 'hitting'.” Shorey’s response came after Rahul described an altercation between the actor and Pooja and said that he had intervened following the argument.

Rahul Bhatt, speaking to Siddharth Kannan, said there had been an argument between Shorey and Pooja, after which he alleged that Shorey hit her. Rahul said he then intervened and acknowledged that his response was excessive. He said he broke the glass of Shorey’s car and injured one of the actor’s ribs, while also admitting that he had taken the law into his own hands. Rahul said he was subsequently arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

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Rahul also said during the podcast that he regretted his actions and described Shorey’s response to the subsequent legal proceedings as mature. According to Rahul, Shorey came forward during the compounding of the offence and agreed to settle the matter, after which the FIR was quashed. Rahul said he respected Shorey for not using the case to seek financial compensation or hold a grudge, and acknowledged that he should not have overreacted.

Shorey and Pooja were in a relationship in the early 2000s after working together on the film Jism. They reportedly began living together before their relationship ended in 2002. Shorey had previously alleged that Pooja’s family portrayed him as an alcoholic and abusive partner and had said that Rahul assaulted him following the dispute. The latest exchange has brought the long-running allegations back into public discussion more than 20 years after the relationship ended.

Pooja later married VJ-turned-restaurateur Manish Makhija in 2003, while Shorey married actor Konkona Sen Sharma in 2010. Both marriages eventually ended in separation. The latest statements from Rahul and Shorey represent their respective accounts of an incident from the early 2000s, with Shorey disputing the characterisation that he “hit” Pooja and describing his actions as self-defence.

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