Mumbai: Rhea Chakraborty has opened up about a chapter of her life that she rarely discusses in detail her time in jail in 2020. In a recent conversation with comedian Tanmay Bhat, the actress spoke about the 28 days she spent in judicial custody and said something that may surprise many she felt that some of the people she met inside prison were more genuine than those she had known outside.
Rhea said prison was a place where social status meant very little. Everyone was treated the same, and she recalled how inmates would spend their days singing, dancing and simply trying to keep their spirits up.
She also remembered the women making thecha, a spicy Maharashtrian chutney, and spoke about prison food in her trademark humorous style. Her recollections mixed difficult experiences with lighter moments, giving a glimpse into how she tried to cope with an extremely stressful period.
Rhea’s jail stay came in connection with the drug related investigation that followed the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. She was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau on September 8, 2020, and was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on October 7 after spending several weeks in custody.
The arrest came months after Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai home on June 14, 2020. His death triggered a massive public debate and multiple investigations, with Rhea becoming one of the most closely watched figures in the case.
The Central Bureau of Investigation eventually filed a closure report in 2025, concluding that Rajput died by suicide and that there was no evidence supporting allegations of foul play against Rhea and others. The closure report has also faced questions from Rajput’s family, keeping the matter in public discussion.
For Rhea, however, the experience appears to have changed the way she looks at people and life.
She has previously spoken about how difficult it was to return to normal life after her release, including the awkward reactions she sometimes received when she entered a room.
Now, years after the controversy that made her one of India’s most discussed celebrities, Rhea is trying to move forward. She has also spoken about turning her experiences into a book, suggesting the tongue in cheek title “Chudail Ka Badla.”
Her latest comments offer something different from the headlines that surrounded her in 2020 a personal account of what she saw, felt and learned during a period that dramatically changed her life.
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