Actor Rhea Chakraborty has spoken about how the events of the last few years have changed her life and personality. In a recent interview with Variety India, the actress reflected on the challenges she faced following the death of Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020 and how she worked on rebuilding her life while protecting her sense of self. Rhea said that the experiences she went through had a deep impact on her and made her more mature. Speaking about how those years changed her, she said, “I definitely have changed a lot. I’m definitely wiser. My friends joke that I’m an 80-year-old inside the body of a 33-year-old, because I’ve seen a lot. You can’t unsee those life experiences, and it changes who you are. Is my core still the same? I hope so. Because I also didn’t want to be bitter. I don’t think I am. I have been angry. I have been bitter. But I’ve worked really hard to kind of not let my life situation and my life change who I am or dictate who I become as a person.”
The actress also spoke about the role therapy has played in her recovery and personal growth. According to Rhea, she has been attending therapy for the last four years, which has helped her understand herself better and process difficult experiences.
She explained, “I’ve been in therapy for the last four years. I think that’s really helped me have a perspective on who I’m becoming and not letting trauma just override what I’m becoming. I choose to be a lot of things. I choose to still be kind. I choose to still believe in love, and I choose to just be normal, really. I choose not to feel specially picked out by the universe to go through this. I’m just a girl who’s trying to live her life and make money and go out and create something, and all the things that a 30-year-old would want to do.”
When asked whether she still loves people the same way she did before, Rhea replied, “Yes,” before sharing how the difficult period in her life changed the way she views trust and relationships.
She said, “But do I love anyone more than the people I already trust? I don’t know. I feel like 2020, or the trauma part of my life, kind of just… I say my friends chose me. I didn’t choose them, because whoever stayed became the people I trust and love the most. My life is full in terms of who all I have in my life. I do want to love more freely, and I don’t mean it just in a romantic way. I just mean love. And I hope I get there. I’m not sure if I am entirely there right now.”
Rhea Chakraborty came under intense public attention after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020. At the time, she was in a relationship with the actor. In September 2020, she was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau after investigators found chats with alleged drug peddlers on her WhatsApp. She was later granted bail, although travel restrictions remained in place for an extended period.
Looking back on the past few years, Rhea’s comments focus on healing, personal growth, and her efforts to move forward while maintaining faith in kindness, friendship, and love despite the challenges she has faced.