The year 2020 saw the most aggressive media trial in the history of Indian television and social media after the untimely and tragic demise of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty, who was at the center of this entire controversy, has spoken openly about the darkest and painful phase of her life, six years after the incident. In a recent interview and during her podcast, Rhea narrated how that one controversy not only took away her career but also devastated the self-esteem, livelihood and mental peace of her entire family. Rhea became very emotional and revealed that her innocent parents and younger brother had to pay the price of the well-planned hate campaign against her. His father, who had retired as a doctor from the Indian Army and was working in a corporate hospital, was shown out of the job overnight just to avoid controversy. 'Chakraborty' surname became untouchable: Father lost his job and bank accounts were seized. Rhea Chakraborty told during the conversation that when a person becomes the victim of a big controversy in public, the society often considers the entire family standing behind him guilty without any proof. Rhea's father Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Dr Indrajit Chakraborty was working as a senior consultant in a reputed private health institute after serving the country. As soon as Riya's name started being raised in 24-hour debates on the national media, immense pressure started building up at her father's workplace. The company management directly told him that his name was tarnishing the brand image of the organization and he was forced to resign. Riya said that the situation had become so frightening during that period that when she used her surname as 'Chakraborty' for any form, bank document or official work, the officers and employees sitting in front of her started looking at her with strange eyes. People had stopped shaking hands, picking up the phone and having normal conversations with him. The family's bank accounts were frozen and they were completely paralyzed financially. Recalling that period of jail bars, media vehicles and the storm of baseless hatred, Riya said that more than 50 media OB vans and hundreds of cameramen used to camp outside her house round the clock. Whenever his elderly parents would go out to get essential medicines or ration, mics would be put on their faces and they would be shouted at like criminals. Rhea had to spend 28 days in Byculla jail during the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) investigation. According to Riya, the time spent in jail was the biggest turning point in her life. There he saw how even the most deprived people of the society shared each other's pain, while the so-called civilized world outside was bent on burning his entire family alive. Rhea said that within the walls of the jail, she strengthened her spirit and decided that she would never succumb to this injustice. When she came out on bail, she found that her home had become a war zone and most of the friends and relatives around her had disappeared out of fear. Brother Shouvik's broken future and difficulty in finding a new home. In this entire incident, Rhea's younger brother Shouvik Chakraborty also had to face serious mental and legal trauma. Shouvik, who was then preparing to begin his higher education and career, also had to remain in judicial custody for several months. Riya told that when her family left that old flat and went to find a house on rent in a new and quiet place, dozens of housing societies flatly refused to give them the flat as soon as they saw her surname. Society secretaries and landlords used to directly say that they cannot keep 'controversial people' in their premises as it would lead to police and media gathering. Riya's mother kept crying for many nights and her blood pressure continued to remain uncontrolled. Rhea said that as a daughter, seeing her parents humiliated because of her was a thousand times more painful for her than any legal punishment or jail sentence. 'Chapter 2' and Therapy: Rebirth of life after coming out of the dark abyss. Despite all the difficulties, boycott and financial crisis, Rhea Chakraborty did not give up. He continuously took the help of professional psychological therapy (Trauma Therapy), meditation and yoga. After a long and difficult struggle of six years, he started a new chapter of his life. She launched a podcast talk-show named 'Chapter 2', where she interacts positively with people, artists and thinkers going through difficult phases of life. Riya told that the purpose behind naming this podcast 'Chapter 2' is that there comes a point in every person's life when everything seems to be over, but from there the second chapter begins. He has started working again with many brands and small projects. Riya believes that the mental peace and strength she is at today has taught her that the noise of the outside world can never erase your inner truth. Rhea's strong message on digital trolling and justice system Rhea Chakraborty's pain is not just her personal story, but it is a strong slap on the 'mob lynching culture' running on social media in today's times and the dangerous mentality of convicting someone without a court verdict. Riya said that it is very easy to destroy the life of someone's entire family for a few likes and TRP on the internet, but it takes years of blood and sweat to make that shattered family stand again. Riya appealed to the society and media and said that there should be trust in the law and justice system. No one should be allowed to commit social murder by putting any woman or her family in the dock in the court of media. Today, six years later, when she looks back, she is proud of the patience and courage of her parents who held their daughter's hand even through the world's worst storm.
