After nearly seven years away from acting, actor Rhea Chakraborty returns to the screen with filmmaker Hansal Mehta’s upcoming series. Her comeback follows a prolonged period of legal battles and public scrutiny following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020, whom she had dated from early 2019 until his passing.
Opening up about the emotional struggle of being away from her acting career, she says, “Letting go of this dream of acting, which I had worked towards for over a decade, took many sessions of therapy. I had to stop thinking about it because I couldn’t have it; I didn’t get acting opportunities.” Adding that she even said no to the role because it had been long she continues, “Hansal sir and the writer asked me what was stopping me. I told them I had left acting and they said that’s all the more reason I should do it because it does not matter whether I do well or not. Now I’m glad I said yes, it was different coming on set, such a long life has been lived in the last seven years. It’s like cycling, something you never forget.”
Rhea’s last theatrical release was Chehre (2021); she later appeared in the reality show Roadies (2023, 2025) and hosted her podcast Chapter 2 (2024-26). Yet, she was largely away from mainstream acting. The 33-year-old adds that the break was not by choice: “I had to pause, with discomfort and pain. Maybe I wouldn’t have been ready immediately after what happened anyway, emotionally, mentally, or physically. The years when no one wanted to work with me were excruciatingly painful. God and the universe have given us all resilience; we just have to tap into it. Had it not been for my friends and family, I don’t think I would have come out of it the way I did.”
Actor Rhea Chakraborty gets emotional as she recalls how her female friends stood by her through her most difficult phase. “My girl friends have shown me what true friendship is. To be loved for no reason and at the cost of their lives and livelihoods being in trouble is phenomenal,” she says, calling singer-actor Shibani Dandekar “like a sister.” Rhea reveals Shibani lost brand work for publicly supporting her; something she learnt only later. “I’m grateful to have such women in my life, who lift each other up. On one hand I saw the worst side of humans but on the other side I also experienced the most beautiful side of humanity,” she adds.
Speaking about finding joy again, she continues, “Normalcy is a gift that I’m seeing after a long and difficult period in my life. The gift is being able to walk on the street without being harrowed… I’m enjoying the little things.”
On working with an OTT platform for the first time, Rhea, who was last seen in MTV Roadies: Double Cross (2025), says she appreciates the structure. “Earlier, out of chaos would come order. That’s no longer the mandate of the industry,” she notes, adding that there’s now “space for every kind of actor” and a stronger focus on performance and craft rather than stereotypes.
Reflecting on internet trolls, she says she has reached a point where it no longer affects her deeply: “Social media is not real life and cannot dictate who loves you.”
Asked if her past has made her wary of love, Rhea says she’s open to finding love again. “Therapy saved my life… I swore no matter where life takes me I will never be jaded. I still believe in love, it’s beautiful, powerful and love is the answer. Love makes the world go round, ” the actor shares.
On future plans, including producing films, she says, “I never thought I would own a brand… I’m in the office from 10am to 7pm on most days.” While she hopes to help others eventually, she adds, “At the present moment I’m wearing my oxygen mask before I help others.”
