Rhea reveals family paid heavy price

Bollywood actress recalls how her father faced professional setbacks after her name was linked to Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case

Actress Rhea Chakraborty has opened up about the difficulties her family faced following the death of her former boyfriend, actor Sushant Singh Rajput, in 2020. Speaking to filmmaker Farah Khan for her YouTube vlog, Rhea recalled how her father, Indrajit Chakraborty, lost a job because of her surname.

Rhea said her father, a retired Army officer and former medical administrator and doctor, had secured a senior position as medical superintendent at a reputed hospital. However, she claimed that the hospital later withdrew the opportunity after learning that he was her father.

“Papa got a very big job as a medical superintendent at a very big hospital in town. Then they found out his surname and said, ‘Sorry, aap Rhea Chakraborty ke papa ho toh... (You are Rhea Chakraborty’s father, so you cannot work here),’” Rhea said.

Rhea also spoke about the impact the controversy had on her family. She and her brother, Showik Chakraborty, were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drug-related case following Sushant’s death. Rhea also spent time in jail during the investigation.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) later filed a closure report in Sushant’s death case, bringing relief to Rhea and her family. She has previously spoken about suffering from PTSD and the impact the entire episode had on her mental health.

During Farah’s vlog, Rhea’s father also appeared briefly. He spoke about looking forward to enjoying home-cooked food in their new kitchen, while Farah said she had brought roast chicken for the family.

Rhea is currently part of the second season of The Traitors. She also recently found herself at the centre of a heated exchange with fellow contestant Mallika Sherawat. The argument began when Rhea defended Munawar Faruqui after he commented on Mallika’s “comeback”. Mallika then referred to Rhea’s time in jail and questioned whether her participation in the show was also a comeback. Rhea responded that Mallika’s remark was more personal than Munawar’s comment.