’Therapy Saved Me… Friends and Family Kept Me Going… ‘

Rhea Chakraborty, who found herself caught in a nightmare after her boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, is back in front of the camera. She shares how the harrowing experience changed her and how it feels to bounce back. Excerpts:

Lovely to see you return to the screen! The audience will be happy to see you in Vikram Malhotra’s Family Business.

Thank You, I certainly hope so. I enjoyed being on screen after seven, years. Hopefully they will enjoy it too.

Were you expecting a breakthrough of this kind?

After such a long break from acting, I had given up hoping for 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, I felt that maybe I was no longer an actor, that that ship had sailed. My only option was to start something of my own. Which was why my brother and I launched Chapter 2, our apparel brand. But life happens while you’re busy making other plans. Ankur Pathak, writer of Family Business, called me for this role.

What was your reaction?

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

The last five years were a nightmare for you. How did you manage to survive?

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 us. I had mine too. Over time, it grew, and the will to have a normal life took over.

Did you think the nightmare would ever end?

At times, No, But I had faith. And I wasn’t OK with my fate being decided by social media and media. So it had to end.

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

I realized that other people’s opinions are not my problem. My inner voice is what matters the most. I also understood that anger only causes acidity, forgiveness is the only way forward…

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: there’s no point in planning. The plan is already written by God and we are just here to live it.