Actor and entrepreneur Rhea Chakraborty has opened up about the difficult phase that followed the controversy surrounding Sushant Singh Rajput’s death and how it inspired a fresh start. In the recent episode of Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi’s Double Date, Rhea recalled the launch of her clothing brand, Chapter 2. The actor revealed that before settling on its current name, she had seriously considered calling it “Chudail Ka Badla” (The Witch’s Revenge), saying she even envisioned an entire line of merchandise around the idea.
Rhea Chakraborty says she wanted to name her brand Chudail Ka Badla
Rhea and Showik reflected on the difficult phase they went through after being released from jail in connection with the investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. Rhea revealed that she had no acting offers, while Showik was also out of work. The siblings then decided to build a brand that would empower others, which eventually led to the creation of Chapter 2.
Rhea revealed, “I was very keen on naming the brand Chudail Ka Badla (The Witch’s Revenge). I was completely sure about it and even imagined creating cool T-shirts and merchandise. Everyone told me not to be so negative, but I kept saying, ‘It’s not negative, it’s funny’. Then I wanted to call the brand Black Sheep, and I even got bracelets made with Black Sheep written on them because that’s how we felt at the time. We felt like the black sheep of society.”
What happened to Rhea Chakraborty and Showik?
Rhea faced imprisonment and a social boycott following the death of her former boyfriend, actor Sushant Singh Rajput, in 2020. Last year, the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) closure report in the case brought relief to Rhea, clearing her of all charges. In previous interviews, she has spoken about the impact the ordeal had on her mental health, revealing that she suffered from PTSD.
Sushant was found dead at his Mumbai residence on 14 June 2020. Rhea came under intense media scrutiny following his death. Sushant’s father lodged a complaint against her, accusing her of abetment of suicide. Rhea and her brother, Showik, were also questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over allegations of money laundering.
After the CBI took over the investigation, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Rhea and Showik, alleging that they had supplied marijuana to Sushant. However, the Bombay High Court rejected the NCB’s claim that Rhea had financed and harboured Sushant’s alleged drug addiction. The siblings were granted bail after spending several weeks in custody.
The case was later transferred back to the CBI, which continued its investigation. In March last year, the agency filed a closure report, giving Rhea a clean chit in the case.
About Rhea Chakraborty’s recent work
Rhea was last seen in the 2021 film Chehre, which failed at the box office. She is now set to make her acting comeback with Netflix’s series Family Business. The show also stars Anil Kapoor, Vijay Varma, Dhruv Sehgal, Neha Dhupia, Raima Sen, Akash Khurana, Apara Mehta, Nandish Sandhu, Anant Nag, Rohan Vinod Mehra, Tina Desai, Kanwaljit Singh, Madhoo and Inayat Sood.
The series is produced by Vikram Malhotra and Hansal Mehta and created by Niren Bhatt and Hansal Mehta. A release date is yet to be announced.