Rhea Chakraborty: 'Therapy Saved Me'

'I wasn't okay with my fate being decided by trolls and social media and the media.'

Rhea Chakraborty went through a nightmare after her then boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicide. She spent two weeks in jail, following a witch-hunt-like experience and a media trial.

It was a traumatic time for Rhea, but she came out of it with a clean chit.

Now, after seven years, she returns to acting with Hansal Mehta's Family Business.

She tells Subhash K Jha, "I came to the understanding that maybe I'm no longer an actor... that ship has sailed. But life happens while you’re busy making other plans."

What was your reaction when Family Business came to you?

After such a long break, I had given up on large parts of this kind. Acting was my only livelihood since I was 19 years old. With the film industry not willing to work with me, my only option was to start something of my own. That's why my brother and I launched our apparel brand, Chapter 2.

Was this your way of looking for an alternative career?

I came to the understanding that maybe I'm no longer an actor... that ship has sailed. But life happens while you're busy making other plans. Ankur Pathak (the writer of Family Business) called me for this role.

I was unsure if I wanted to come back to the movies. Life had changed. I had a shop on Linking Road (Bandra, northwest Mumbai). I had a full time office-going job. But when Hansal Mehta sir, who directs Family Business, met me and said, 'Do it for your 17- year-old self who dreamt of being an actor', I decided to take the leap of faith. And here we are.

The last five years were a Kafkaesque nightmare for you. How did you manage to keep your head on your shoulder?

Therapy saved me. My close friends and family kept me going. It wasn't easy. I had my share of painful and emotionally draining moments stretching into years. We all have resilience within. Overtime, the strength grew, and the will to have a normal life took over.

Did you ever think the nightmare would end?

At times, it felt that I may never... but I had faith. And I wasn't okay with my fate being decided by trolls and social media and the media.

What is your biggest takeaway from the witch-hunt experience you went through?

Other people's opinions are not my problem. I'm only responsible for my own. My inner voice is what matters the most.

Anger only causes acidity, forgiveness is only way forward, so I try.

Would you like to name the friends who stood by you?

Shibani Dandekar was my angel; she stood by me like a rock. Nidhi Hiranandi, Anisha Jain, Smiksha Shetty, Saqib Saleem, Atiya and Anuj Rakyan, Simone Khambatta... I've been blessed with unconditional friendships.

Now that the door has reopened, what do you see as the way ahead?

After all I've been through, if I've learnt anything it is this: No point in planning. The plan is already written by God and we are just here to live it.

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff