Sushant Singh Rajput and Rhea Chakraborty’s relationship has been subjected to a barrage of speculation since the actor’s mysterious death. The media and public opinion has already deemed Rhea guilty and labeled her a murderer. In a recent interview with HuffPost, Rhea’s friends have spoken about her year-long relationship with the late actor in detail, which paints a different narrative. However, the three friends insisted on keeping their identities anonymous owing to the social media trolls, threats, and media glare.
Image Credit: TOI
The HuffPost report states that her friends believe that Rhea was a dotting girlfriend who helped Sushant in navigating his mental health struggles. They also said that when Rajput was diagnosed as bipolar, he was worried that if his health condition would become public knowledge, it could sabotage his career as a bankable star.
Rhea and Sushant first met seven years ago as professional acquaintances at movie screenings and parties. According to Rhea’s statement, she met Sushant at a party in April 2019, and that’s when they clicked. Soon after, they started dating and took a trip with a group of friends to Pawna Lake. According to the friends, during the trip, the duo bonded over gazing stars and their love for tennis.
After Rhea returned to Mumbai, she told her friends that she had developed feelings for Sushant. A friend of hers told HuffPost, “She said, ‘I’m going to go with the flow. I don’t know what it is yet, but it feels good’ (sic)”. Her friends stressed how Rhea felt complete with the actor, unlike her previous relationships. The couple soon started living together but kept their relationship away from the media scrutiny.
Image Credit: TOI
Another friend said, “When we first met them as a couple at a common friend’s house, everybody was taken by how quickly they had fallen for each other. We were all happy. This was their honeymoon period so instead of guilt-tripping them for not hanging out with us more often, we just let them be (sic).”
However, the friend recalled how Rhea changed after she got into this relationship. “It was a mature relationship and you could say so because of the way our friend had changed. I understood her because this was a time when I myself had entered a serious relationship (sic),” she added.
Image Credit: TOI
Within three months of their relationship, Rhea introduced Sushant to her family over dinner and Sushant instantly developed a liking for them and wanted to be part of her family. Rhea’s friend said, “Rajput and Chakraborty’s family subsequently became so close that he’d ask Chakraborty’s mother to cook her special prawn curry for him.” She also quizzed Sushant, “Who, in today’s times, meets the girl’s parents within months of dating? What’s going on?”
Image Credit: TOI
Talking about whether Rhea controlled the actor’s life and dismissed his older staff, a friend said, “The decision to dismiss some of Rajput’s older staff, was prompted by an urgent need for privacy and to prevent stories of his illness leaking to the press.” Another friend said Rhea would spend maximum time taking care of the actor. “I’d just get a message that she needs to be with Sushant, that he’s unwell,” she added. After a point, Rhea’s friends felt that Sushant was isolating her from her friends. However, in November 2019, Rhea told her friends they did not understand the toll that caregiving was taking on her.
Earlier, in an interview with journalist Barkha Dutt, Sushant’s Therapist Susan Walker had also spoken about Rhea being a rock and how she helped the actor cope with his mental health. Walker said, “When Sushant was severely ill, he depended on Rhea as somewhat of a mother figure. Rhea gave Sushant the courage to attend the sessions. Rhea took care of Sushant’s appointments and gave him enough courage to attend. From the first time I met the couple in November, I was impressed by the degree of concern, love, and support she showed (sic).”
Her friends also said that Rhea even turned down a couple of films to focus on taking care of Sushant. “When you’re so deeply in love, you feel everything that your partner feels, you feel their pain as your own,” a friend added.
Talking about the media channels running a slander campaign against Rhea and her family, and the public outrage, a friend said, “They haven’t had a moment to grieve. Has anyone paused to think that here’s a young woman who lost the love of her life? It’s bonkers for us to even process the hysteria that’s unfolding right now. It’s so far from the truth, it shocks the mind (sic).”
All said and done, what happened between the couple is ambiguous and still under a CBI probe. What’s unacceptable is the media channels, politicians, and the public taking advantage of someone’s death and playing the judge. Above all, normalising abuse, rape threats and slut-shaming in the name of “justice” needs to stop.
Lead Image Credit: @rhea_chakraborty, Instagram and TOI
