Rhea Chakraborty says can't get over trauma after Sushant Singh Rajput's death

Actor Rhea Chakraborty said she still cannot get over the trauma following Sushant Singh Rajput's death, calling healing an ongoing process. The actor also spoke about living with PTSD alongside brother Shovik Chakraborty and rebuilding their lives after years of public scrutiny.

In Short

• Rhea Chakraborty said healing from trauma is ongoing and some scars never fade
• She spoke on Double Date about coping with public scrutiny after Sushant Singh Rajput case
• Rhea and brother Shovik were arrested by NCB in 2020 linked to drug probe

Actor Rhea Chakraborty discussed healing and the importance of rebuilding her life five years after the death of her boyfriend, actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Speaking in a recent interview, the 33-year-old revealed that she has been living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She also said her brother, Shovik Chakraborty, has been dealing with similar mental health challenges following the tragedy that affected their entire family.

During an appearance on Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi's chat show Double Date with her brother, Shovik Chakraborty, Rhea was asked if she had managed to move past the trauma of the past few years. The actor said healing from such experiences is an ongoing process and not something one can completely overcome.

“It’s not something that you can truly get over. It’s trauma. It stays in your body, if not in your mind,” she said, explaining that healing takes longer than expected.

Rhea added, “You do your therapy and you deal with it.”

The actor also reflected on how the public nature of the case made coping even more difficult, with every development becoming a subject of discussion and scrutiny.

“Ours was public, so everyone knows about it, everyone talks about it, and that’s okay,” Rhea said.

The siblings were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in 2020 during a drug-related investigation linked to Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

Looking back at how their lives changed overnight, Shovik said his life before the controversy was completely different.

He recalled being a studious young man focused on academics and preparing for admission to prestigious business schools such as the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and the Wharton School. He added that nothing had prepared him for the unexpected turn his life would eventually take.

Shovik added that nothing could have prepared him for the events that followed, saying life took an unexpected turn and changed completely overnight.

He said it took the siblings nearly four to five years to regain some sense of normalcy, though the emotional impact still lingers.

“It took us about four to five years. Even now, there are some days when you think, 'This happened to me," he said.

Shovik also revealed that he continues to live with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), explaining that even ordinary sounds can trigger painful memories from that period.

“I still have PTSD. Sometimes a random doorbell ring takes me back. There was so much chaos at that time that every doorbell made us feel like someone was coming after us,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Rhea Chakraborty was last seen in Chehre (2021) alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi. She has also featured in films such as Jalebi (2018) and Mere Dad Ki Maruti (2013).

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