Rhea Chakraborty's Journey to Financial Independence and Personal Healing

Time of India

a day ago

It's a long-awaited sunrise for Rhea Chakraborty—an actress whose life was upended in the wake of actor
's tragic death by suicide in 2020. Vilified by the media and ostracised by much of the industry, Rhea became the face of a public witch-hunt that few could have survived with grace.
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Five years later, she is stepping forward into a new chapter—one not defined by controversy but by creativity, courage, and a quiet determination to rebuild. Alongside her brother Showik, she has co-founded a clothing brand that represents a fresh start. In a personal, long-overdue conversation with a leading publication, Rhea opens up about career setbacks, finding healing through work, and learning to move forward.
'Showik and I both lost out career paths because of everything that happened to us in 2020'
The reason behind starting a clothing store - Chapter 2 in Bandra, for Rhea was not born out of a choice. 'We both kind of lost our career paths because of everything that happened to us in 2020. I had lost my acting career because no one would work with me at that point. We were like, 'Okay, what do we do? We have to do something, right?' It's okay that the things that we wanted to do are not happening. (But) You want to wake up and you want to have a purpose,' she recalls.
'It was really difficult to come to terms with acting no longer being a path that existed'
Rhea, a former video jockey, started her acting career in 2013 with
Mere Dad ki Maruti
. Her last film was
Chehre
in 2021. She admits it was frustrating to be not able to do what she wanted to. 'Honestly, it was really difficult to come to terms with the fact that the dream that you had since you were 17 and the path that you were set on for 10 years is no longer a path that exists. It's not even like
ab kaam dhundhna hai
, it's like
ab koi kaam nahi de raha ya kar sakta hai
. Even if somebody wanted to work, they were scared of the trolling.
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It's not like people didn't want to work, there was an interest, but it was not happening. Maybe their investors were saying no, or the platforms were saying no. At one point I had to take a stand for myself – Either I can be delusional and hope that it will happen one day, or I can be like if it happens one day, great, but I need to do something else because I'm young, I'm able-bodied, and I need to work.
A large part of my healing will also come from working.
If you're just sitting at home, you don't heal,' she explains.
Rhea Chakraborty begins a new chapter with Chapter 2.
'The trauma was long drawn'
After a tumultuous period in the public eye, Rhea reflects on the arduous process of healing and rebirth, as she learned to separate her identity from her profession. 'The last five years have been really hard for me and for my family and for everyone in different ways. Healing is a process. It doesn't happen overnight. And the trauma was long drawn. It was heartbreaking.
I did a lot of therapy sessions around the fact that, 'Okay, Rhea, you're no longer an actor, and that's okay, and you need to let go of this dream because it's just not possible for you'.
So, I had to break that piece of your heart and be like, now you don't beat for this role anymore,' she reminisces.
'It finally feels like a sunrise after a really long, dark, deserted, long night'
Having weathered years of scrutiny, Rhea has found strength in acceptance and joy in simplicity. Earlier this year in March Rhea and her brother got a clean chit by the CBI in the widely reported case.
Rhea chooses to maintain a stoic silence about the clean chit, however, reflects on the year that has gone by: "Just one word for the year that's gone - Gratitude. It's been amazing. It finally feels like a sunrise after a really long, dark, deserted, long night.
So, I feel like I wake up in the morning and I have tears of gratitude sometimes. The gratitude level is so immense that the small problems don't bother us as much anymore.
And the small happiness and the small joys are now the big things.
'Many people are getting to see who I am and not what they think of me'
The actress who became a victim of a media trial, admits she has evolved and credits her 'life experiences' for the evolution. She also credits TV reality show Roadies for helping her heal. '
Roadies
has been a huge part of my healing. The previous season was the first season that I came back to work... If there's any change that's happened to me, that's happened because of my life experiences. And of course,
Roadies
also does teach you a lot of things. It was a platform where I could be myself and not worry about judgment. When you've been brutally trolled the way, I have been, you kind of get a little bit close and cagey. Anything you say can backfire. If you go in a rickshaw also, people can call you names. Then you don't know how to be anymore in public. But with
Roadies
, I slowly eased up and I gave up the whole guard and I could just be more me.
Many people are getting to see who I am and not what they think of me.'
'Want the financial independence that if I ever need a lawyer, I don't have to think twice'
While she has been away from movies, she continues to work as a podcaster, a
Roadies
mentor, and now an entrepreneur. Ask Rhea what she wants next, and her response will warm anyone's heart. 'The one most singular goal that I have is of course my parents and my brother to be happy and peaceful and then to have enough money and financial independence that if I ever need a lawyer, I don't have to think twice. I can just hire the most, the best lawyer without having to think even one second about how expensive they are and how to get the money for it.
So that's my financial goal. And whenever I get to that goal, I shall be at peace," she signs off.