Actress Rhea Chakraborty has said that watching Aryan Khan go through legal proceedings and intense public scrutiny in the 2021 drug case brought back memories of her own ordeal.

in conversation with Variety IndiaRhea said the developments were ‘strikingly similar’, and said that more than her own case, they reminded her of what her brother Showik Chakraborty had gone through during the investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.

Rhea faced intense public scrutiny in 2020 following the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. She and Showik were investigated by multiple agencies, including the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and Rhea spent 27 days in jail before getting bail. A year later, Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan was at the center of a high-profile NCB investigation after he was arrested in the 2021 cruise ship drug case. He spent 25 days in jail before getting bail.

Recalling her reaction, Rhea said that Aryan’s case reflects the difficulty faced by her brother Showik.

“When I saw what Aryan was going through, I was taken back because it was spectacularly similar. In fact, more than my story, it looked a lot like Showik’s story. They have similarities too. It was very, very hard to watch. I didn’t speak to the media at times, and I still don’t.”

emotional impact of incarceration

Rhea also talked about the emotional impact of being in jail and the loss of identity that came with it. He described imprisonment as one of the most difficult experiences of his life and said that it destroys a person’s identity and sense of belonging. He said being isolated from society and losing one’s independence can have a deep impact on self-esteem and confidence.

She added, “Being away from family and being so uncertain about your freedom and independence is really challenging.”

Riya said that she has deliberately decided that despite the trauma she had to endure, she will not reveal her pain publicly.

“I’ve obviously been through my share of pain, sadness, anger, tears and anxiety and PTSD… I’m still going through a lot. Now, I’m on the other side, and I’ve really moved on from it quite a bit. But I believe this is something that is personal to me because nothing else was personal.” Jalebi the actor said.

Rhea Chakraborty on those who stood with her

In the same conversation, Riya also talked about the people who supported her during that time. He said, “I had many close friends who stood by me. At that time, it was not good to support me. Anyone who supported me was trolled and lost job opportunities.”

Apart from her friends Shibani and Anusha Dandekar, Rhea credits actors Saqib Saleem and Huma Qureshi for being pillars of strength for her family, especially when both she and Showik were in jail.

Rhea, who was dating Sushant Singh Rajput at the time, was arrested in September 2020 for allegedly buying drugs for him. He spent 27 days in Byculla jail before getting bail.