Rhea Chakraborty has faced huge media wrath and public trolling since the untimely demise of one of the most loved actors of his generation, Sushant Singh Rajput on June 14, 2020. Post his demise, there was also a huge call in the industry regarding the actors and others taking drug dosages many a times in their lives. And Rhea was also arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) based on the same drug-related case. She spent 28 days in Byculla jail as an undertrial before being granted bail. Finally, in 2023, Rhea got judicial relief. However, in an interview, she opened up about how the entire episode took a toll on her mental health and career.
In an interview with Mid-Day, Rhea Chakraborty quipped about the extensive and unwarranted media coverage she faced in 2020. She also revealed how it took a long time for her to recover from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder due to the same. She mentioned how she had to take therapy to regain her confidence and said:
“I am aware that I am widely recognised by people because of the extensive and unwarranted media coverage that I got because of what happened in 2020. A year ago, I was uncomfortable with the media around. I was still coming off the PTSD [Post-traumatic Stress Disorder] of 2020. A lot of it was about cameras being there. There was yelling, screaming, hounding and mostly harassment. It used to bring back memories earlier. Over time, I was thrown into situations where I was required to go out, meet people and get photographed. It has taken a lot of therapy to be able to stand in front of 100 media people and get clicked. Time has also done its trick. I am feeling confident about myself.”
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In the same conversation, Rhea mentioned that she was thrown into a storm in the first few months. However, she clearly stated that the grief of losing someone so close to her heart and whatever happened afterwards, still lingers in her mind. She added, "Your grief stays, and your life grows around it." Further, she discussed facing her emotions and how therapy healed her.
Afterwards, Rhea was asked if people became kinder in the post-pandemic world, after seeing the fragility of life. To this, the actress immediately answered that she is still one of the most trolled online. However, Rhea also admitted that even after she is heavily trolled on social media, her family and close friends' support has helped her face all the troubles, bravely. Elaborting more on it, she narrated a piece from her experience. She shared:
“I am not sure. I am still one of the most trolled people online. But in the eye of the storm, I saw kindness. I had friends rally behind me, help me and my family emotionally and monetarily. That gave me strength. Our society is patriarchal. But from my story, I have realised that the women-pull-each-other-down narrative might exist, but there is a strong wave of women standing together and flourishing.”
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On the work front, Rhea was seen in Rumi Jaffery's film, Chehre, after being granted bail. The film also starred Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi in lead roles. Afterwards, she was seen back on the shooting sets for her performance in the reality show, Roadies 19. This was the first time she shot something after the 2020 drug case. However, talking about the same, she shared her thoughts that people might still be afraid to hire her post-drug case. She mentioned:
“I feel there is still a sense of fear on that front, but I’m hoping it normalises soon. A lot of it has calmed down, and honestly, the power of trolls is gone.”
What do you think about Rhea's revelations? Let us know!
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