Shorey’s reaction comes in the wake of Rahul Bhatt publicly admitting on a podcast that he assaulted the actor, smashed his car windows, and fractured one of his ribs—an action Rahul now confesses he deeply regrets. Taking to social media to respond to the confession, Shorey stated that the "propaganda and slander" that damaged his career and reputation for over two decades has finally given way to the truth, clarifying that defending oneself against physical toxicity does not equate to "hitting" a partner.
What Rahul Bhatt Confessed: "My Response Was Exaggerated"
Speaking in a detailed interview with Siddharth Kannan, Rahul Bhatt recounted the volatile 2002 confrontation that resulted in his own arrest and criminal charges:
The Physical Retaliation:
“There was an altercation between Ranvir Shorey and Pooja Bhatt. They had an argument, after which Ranvir hit her or something like that. I had to step in, and when I did, my response was a bit exaggerated. I broke his car’s glass. I broke one of his ribs. I did a wrong thing by taking the law into my own hands. Subsequently, I paid the price for it. I was arrested. Charged.”
Expressing Regret & Praising Shorey’s Decency:
Rahul noted that while he used to boast about his aggression in younger years, he has completely changed his stance:
“I regret it. I shouldn’t have overreacted... In the case of Ranvir Shorey, I shouldn't have. He was very decent. In the compounding of the offence, he came forward and said, 'Let bygones be bygones.' People usually use such situations to extract money, but he didn’t. He compounded the case, and the FIR was quashed. I respect him for that.”
Ranvir Shorey Reacts: "The Missing Piece of the Puzzle"
Reacting to media reports highlighting Rahul's interview, Shorey posted an unequivocal response on X (formerly Twitter) to permanently set the record straight on the narrative that he was an abusive partner:
“PROPAGANDA and SLANDER of over 20 years has finally given way to TRUTH.
Let me add the missing piece, so it can finally rest now: defending yourself against violence to escape someone toxic is not ‘hitting’.”
The statement directly counters the narrative propagated in film magazines during the early 2000s, where Shorey was widely framed as an unstable, violent boyfriend—a portrayal that severely derailed his initial momentum as a rising leading man following his breakthrough work in Jism.
Industry Take:
Rahul Bhatt’s belated admission of guilt, paired with Ranvir Shorey’s sharp clarification, illustrates how quickly domestic conflict could be weaponized by powerful Bollywood families in the pre-digital era. By defining self-defense against domestic toxicity as distinct from unprovoked violence, Shorey has reclaimed his narrative after carrying an unfair professional burden for more than twenty years.
