Rhea Chakraborty recalls being labelled a ‘witch’ after Sushant Singh Rajput’s death: ‘I kind of like...’

Actor Rhea Chakraborty recalled how she was labelled a ‘witch’ after being accused of abetting Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide by his family.

At the India Today Conclave 2023 in Mumbai on October 5, Rhea was asked if being called a witch affected her.

She said: ‘I kind of like the name ‘chudail’ (witch). It is interesting. Back in the day who was a witch? A witch was a woman who did not subscribe to the patriarchal society or her own opinion that was against the popular opinion of men and the patriarchal society. Maybe I am that person, maybe I am a chudail. Maybe I know how to do black magic.’

After Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, Rhea became the subject of intense trolling and media scrutiny, which many felt was a ‘witch-hunt’.

After Rajput’s demise, Chakraborty said she ‘doused’ herself in therapy.

Speaking on mental health, Rhea said, ‘The truth is that mental health is not understood in this country at all. We are taking strides, and I am happy that the young people are now talking about it. India is moving forward, but if someone is famous and has mental health conditions, they don't understand it. They are like, 'he has fame, he has success. Why is he depressed?'

‘The fact of the matter is that people are working their entire lives, struggling for what? Two things: fame and money. So, when they have somebody who has both, they are like 'he is depressed toh main kya kar raha/rahi hoon?' (What am I doing? That is what doesn't sit well with people). Mental health is misunderstood, because of which it's tough for people to digest the fact that someone who is rich and famous could be mentally affected or depressed,’ she added.

A case of alleged abetment to suicide was registered against Chakraborty by Sushant Singh Rajput’s parents and a parallel probe into alleged drug procurement by her also began.

Rhea Chakraborty was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in September 2020 in relation to the case and was later shifted to the Byculla jail where she spent almost six weeks. She is currently out on bail and the matter is sub judice at the Bombay High Court.

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