The tragic passing of Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020 led to intense media scrutiny and legal battles, with Rhea Chakraborty and her family caught at the center of controversy. Though recently CBI gave a clean chit to Rhea and her family, Rhea’s close friend Nidhi Hiranandani opened up about the devastating impact, trauma, lost opportunities and public vilification the family has endured over the past few years which Nidhi quoted “damage can’t be undone.”
In an interview with Indian Express, Hiranandani portrayed Sushant and Rhea’s relationship as “beautiful and full of love” and remembered how the family had no time to grief over the loss of the loved one as they were constantly subjected to media frenzy.
She mentioned Rhea coming home with bruises after being mobbed by reporters, while she sat helplessly with Rhea’s mother watching it all on TV.
She recalled the traumatizing moment and added “Initially, there was a lot of disbelief. We couldn’t process where all this was coming from. We were all just coming to terms with all that had happened, and I remember how shattered Rhea and Showik were. Indrajit and Sandhya treated Sushant like family, and he also did the same. I saw how they broke down, their mental health was already suffering. What Rhea went through was unprecedented. I felt very helpless seeing their life being ripped apart. The family wanted to lead with grace, they wanted it to end. We were begging and pleading with people to talk for us, but nobody wanted to. There was a wave of hatred, and everybody was riding on it. Nobody wanted to focus on the truth, but they wanted this person to hate. Rhea became the scapegoat.”
She recalled how the ordeal severely affected the entire family. She further described how Rhea’s parents were “shattered, breaking down” after her arrest and how her mother “lost her voice” and spent hours praying in temples.
Meanwhile her 23-year-old brother Showik who was giving CAT exams, missed educational opportunities despite securing admission to prestigious colleges, as the ongoing case created barriers. She added “Rhea lost her career, she couldn’t do any film. So much was taken from them. Showik was denied admission to most of the colleges because the case was going on. From a boy, he became a man who now wants to build his life and bring stability to the family. He lost his youth, his carefree days. Both Rhea and Showik had to grow up overnight.”
She concluded with how Rhea remains a “shattered person” who will need “a lifetime to undo the damage” caused by her jail term.
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