Rhea Chakraborty has opened up about her early days in the entertainment industry, recalling how much she earned as an MTV video jockey when she was still a teenager.
During a recent conversation with comedian and creator Tanmay Bhat on his YouTube channel, Chakraborty reflected on her time as an MTV VJ and revealed that her salary eventually reached around ₹3 lakh per month when she was approximately 17 or 18 years old.
For the young Chakraborty, the money felt enormous.
“I think ₹3 lakh was my last salary. But I was also just 17-18 years old, so I really thought I was damn rich. Spent this money on fixing my face,” she said during the conversation.
Her comments offered a glimpse into the lifestyle and pressures she experienced while entering the entertainment industry at a very young age.
Rhea Chakraborty recalls interviewing Salman Khan
Chakraborty also remembered one of her earliest encounters with a major Bollywood celebrity.
When asked about the first celebrity she had met or interviewed, she recalled Salman Khan. According to Chakraborty, she was given the opportunity to interview him during her time at MTV.
“I was a VJ on MTV. Everyone allowed me to do his interview and I didn’t know why they were being so nice but it was because everyone was scared,” she recalled.
She also spoke about the appearance-driven nature of television and entertainment during that period, saying there was a time when only people considered good-looking were given opportunities to speak on screen.
The experience was part of a career that began in television before Chakraborty transitioned into films and later expanded her presence across reality television and other entertainment platforms.
She says she spent her early earnings on her appearance
Looking back at her teenage years, Chakraborty described herself as someone who suddenly had access to substantial earnings at an unusually young age.
Her comment about spending the money on “fixing” her face came in the context of a wider discussion about beauty, appearance and the changing technology available for cosmetic and aesthetic treatments.
When Bhat jokingly asked whether he should also get his face “fixed,” Chakraborty responded that people could consider such treatments, while pointing out that the technology available today has advanced significantly.
Her remarks also highlight the pressures surrounding appearance in an industry where actors and television personalities are frequently judged by their on-screen image.
From MTV to Bollywood
Chakraborty began her career as a video jockey before moving into acting.
She made her film debut with the Telugu movie Tuneega Tuneega in 2012. A year later, she made her Bollywood debut with Mere Dad Ki Maruti.
She subsequently appeared in films including Sonali Cable, Bank Chor, Jalebi and Dobaaraa: See Your Evil.
Over the years, her career has extended beyond conventional film roles. She returned to the television and reality-entertainment space as a gang leader on Roadies: Karm Ya Kaand in 2023 and has continued appearing in interviews, podcasts and other public-facing projects.
Rhea Chakraborty’s career after years of intense media attention
Chakraborty’s personal life became the subject of extraordinary media attention following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020.
She faced extensive scrutiny and allegations during the investigations that followed. Chakraborty was also arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in a drugs-related case and was subsequently granted bail.
The Central Bureau of Investigation later filed a closure report in 2025, stating that it had found no evidence establishing that Rajput was murdered or that Chakraborty and others had abetted his suicide. A Mumbai court subsequently accepted the closure report.
The prolonged period of scrutiny affected Chakraborty’s professional life as well. She has previously spoken about the difficulty of finding work following the intense media coverage.
Her subsequent return to entertainment marked another phase in her career, with reality television, interviews and digital appearances helping her reconnect with audiences.
Rhea Chakraborty to appear in The Traitors Season 2
Chakraborty is set to appear in the second season of the reality series The Traitors, hosted by Karan Johar.
The upcoming season features a large celebrity lineup, including Mallika Sherawat, Munawar Faruqui, Shweta Tiwari, Abhishek Malhan, Krystle D’Souza, Parul Gulati, Dalip Tahil, Shahneel Gill, Shalini Passi, Ranveer Brar, Aaditya Kulshreshth, Harman Baweja, Prish, Rida Tharana, Soundous Moufakir and rapper Ikka.
The second season is scheduled to premiere on Prime Video on August 13, 2026.
For Chakraborty, the reality show represents another opportunity to remain visible in the entertainment industry after a career marked by television, films, reality programming and years of intense public attention.
