Actor and model Rhea Chakraborty recently opened up about her harrowing experience in jail after being arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drug-related case. Speaking on Karishma Mehta’s podcast, Rhea reflected on the challenges she faced, describing how each day in jail felt like a year and how she battled deep depression and darkness during that time.
Life Behind Bars
Rhea described the jail environment as entirely different from the society we know. “Jail is a very different world because there’s no society in jail. There is a weird sense of equality. Everyone is a number; they are not a person,” she shared, highlighting how inmates are reduced to mere identification numbers, particularly during the undertrial period.
In this strange, paused world, Rhea observed how raw human emotions surfaced in their most basic form. “It’s survival. You have to survive each day, and each day feels like a year,” she explained. The slow passage of time, compounded by the inactivity and isolation, made her early days in jail particularly difficult.
From Depression to Resilience
Rhea admitted that the first two weeks in jail were especially challenging as she struggled to adjust to the reality of her situation. “My time in there was difficult in the first two weeks to adjust to this situation because no one ever believes that they are going to jail,” she said. The unexpected turn of events plunged her into a deep depression, where negative thoughts began to overwhelm her usually optimistic outlook on life.
However, Rhea discovered a way to reclaim some light amidst the darkness. Seeing that many of the women around her had lost hope, she chose to share “a bit of me” with them. She started teaching yoga and leading dance classes, infusing a sense of purpose and positivity into the lives of her fellow inmates. Additionally, Rhea taught poems to children, using these activities as a way to navigate her own challenges while also helping others find a glimmer of hope.
Rhea Chakraborty and Sushant Singh Rajput
Rhea was the girlfriend of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead in his Bandra apartment on June 14, 2020. Following his tragic death, Sushant’s parents filed a case of alleged abetment to suicide against Rhea. Her subsequent arrest by the NCB in September 2020 in connection with a drug-related case emerged as a part of the investigation into Sushant’s death.
Rhea’s journey, both during and after her time in jail, has been marked by intense public scrutiny and personal struggle. Yet, through it all, she has found ways to survive, adapt, and even offer support to others facing similar hardships.
