Rhea Chakraborty Reveals How Sushant Singh Rajput's Death Changed Her Family's Life
Rhea Chakraborty's life changed significantly after Sushant Singh Rajput's death. The actress revealed that she faced difficulties in her career, and her brother and father also faced hardship.
Mumbai: Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty was in the headlines in 2020 and went through many media trials after the death of her then-boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput. Rhea and her brother Showik were arrested by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drug case and she has now revealed how the case played out in her personal life.
What were Rhea's family's experiences?
During Farah Khan's cooking vlog, Rhea Chakraborty, who is currently in The Traitors Season 2, said that her father was turned down for a job due to her following the Sushant Singh Rajput case in 2020.
"Papa got a very big job as a medical superintendent at a very big hospital in town.. and then they found out his surname and said, 'Sorry, aap Rhea Chakraborty ke father ho toh aap yaha kaam nahi kar sakte (You are Rhea Chakraborty's father so you cannot work here)," the actress said.
What problems did Rhea's brother face?
Rhea said that Showik Chakraborty had an impressive 97 per cent success in CAT exam and even got admission to IIM. But, roughly around the same period of time that their case was pending, Rhea's brother was arrested in the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a case of drug-related to Sushant in 2020. Showik was not able to complete the first trimester of his studies as a result of his imprisonment, she said. His fees had been paid, but couldn't afford to finish his education. Life became even more difficult for both of them after their release from jail.
What is Chapter 2?
After struggling through a few setbacks and just not being able to land a job for a while, the brother-sister began their own clothing line and podcast, Chapter 2.
“This was when we were like, we have had it enough. We don't want to rely on people. I want to do something of our own. We thought about it, and then we decided on selling apparels. This goes back to the time I was arrested. They’re now in the middle, and I wear this ‘Roses are red, Violets are Blue, Let’s smash the patriarchy me and you' T-shirt unknowingly. It was a T-shirt given to her by an NGO. This T-shirt became viral. It spoke for me when I couldn’t myself. This I learned several months later," she said.
“That's something to motivate us, we said, let's make more of these clothes that will give people a voice, that's how chapter 2 began, it is doing well,” Rhea said.
What did Rhea say to Karan Johar?
In the show "The Traitors", Karan asked Rhea if she would like to be Innocent or a Traitor. Rhea knew exactly what she wanted to do.
“I want to be an innocent. Iss saal hi, logon ko pata chala hai, mai innocent hoon, this is the only time it is my turn to get clean chit. If you're bohot der tak shaq mein rahi hoon toh woh itna pasand nahi hoon ab mujhe. I'm making you wait for the affair of a thousand years," she said.
What were the charges?
After Sushant Singh Rajput's death, FIRs were filed against Rhea Chakraborty and her family for abetment to suicide, criminal intimidation and money laundering, by the family and the investigating agencies. She was arrested by Narcotics Control Bureau and imprisoned for almost a month. The NCB alleged Rhea Chakraborty and her brother of allotting drugs for the deceased actor.
The CBI filed a closure report in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case on March 23, 2025, clearing Rhea and her family from all kind of charges. CBI apparently found no evidence of abetment to suicide, unlawful confinement or theft. In June 2020, Sushant Singh Rajput was discovered dead in his home in Mumbai.
