Actor Rhea Chakraborty has said that she continues to believe in love and refuses to let past trauma harden her, years after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020.
In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Rhea spoke candidly about the emotional toll of the intense public scrutiny and legal battles she faced following Sushant’s death — a period that kept her away from films and web series for several years.
“Letting go of acting took therapy”
Rhea revealed that there was a time when she had made peace with the possibility that her acting career might never resume.
“Letting go of this dream of acting, which I had worked towards for over a decade, took many sessions of therapy. I had to stop thinking about it because I couldn’t have it; I didn’t get acting opportunities,” she said.
Despite the prolonged setbacks, the actor said therapy helped her survive one of the darkest phases of her life.
“Therapy saved my life. I swore no matter where life takes me, I will never be jaded. I still believe in love — it’s beautiful, powerful, and love is the answer. Love makes the world go round,” she added.
Returning to acting with Hansal Mehta
Rhea is now set to return to acting with filmmaker Hansal Mehta’s upcoming series. She admitted that she initially turned down the project, having mentally stepped away from the profession.
“Hansal sir and the writer asked me what was stopping me. I told them I had left acting,” she recalled, adding that their encouragement convinced her to take the leap.
“They said that’s all the more reason I should do it — it doesn’t matter whether I do well or not. Now I’m glad I said yes. Coming back to set felt different; so much life has been lived in the last seven years. It’s like cycling — something you never forget.”
Gratitude for friendships
Beyond her professional comeback, Rhea became emotional while speaking about the friends who stood by her during the controversy.
“My girl friends have shown me what true friendship is — to be loved for no reason, even when their lives and livelihoods were at risk,” she said.
She specifically mentioned singer-actor Shibani Dandekar, whom she described as being “like a sister,” noting that Shibani faced professional consequences for publicly supporting her.
“I’m grateful to have such women in my life who lift each other up. On one hand, I saw the worst side of humans, but on the other, I experienced the most beautiful side of humanity,” Rhea concluded.
