A drug angle has surfaced in SSR Case, which has led to NCB registering a case against Rhea Chakraborty and others. Amid these developments, Rhea has given an exclusive interview to India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai.
She has claimed that – she got to know about SSR’s mental illness on the October 2019 Europe Trip, she wasn’t living off his money; Sushant loved living like a star.
Flight Claustrophobia and Medicine
Opening about the Europe Trip, Rhea Chakraborty said that Sushant used to feel claustrophobic in flights and used to take medicine ‘Modafinil’ for it. He didn’t need a prescription as he always used to have the medicine with him. She also said he didn’t leave his room for 3 days after reaching Paris.
“When we were leaving for Europe, Sushant said that he feels claustrophobic in a flight. He used to take the medicine, ‘Modafinil’ for it. He always used to have the medicine with him. He took it before the flight, he didn’t need a prescription as he already used to have the medicine with him. He was probably taking it before every flight. When we reached Paris, he didn’t leave his room for three days. Before the trip, he said that he was very happy. He had told me that he is very excited for the trip as he will show me his true side during our Europe stay. He will walk on the streets and have fun with me which he couldn’t do in India. We were really happy. I was wondering what happened.”
Ankita Lokhande Reacts
Meanwhile, Ankita Lokhande reacted to the claustrophobia claim with this post about Sushant – “Is this #claustrophobia ? u always wanted to fly and u did it.”
Gothic Hotel and 2013 Depressive Episode
Rhea opened up about their stay in a ‘Gothic Hotel’ at Italy, stating that his health deteriorated from there and how their trip was cut short. She also revealed that Sushant had told her about his depressive episode in 2013 and meeting psychiatrist Haresh Shetty.
“In Switzerland, he was fine. He was energetic. When we reached Italy, we stayed at a Gothic hotel, which we didn’t know at the time of booking. In our room there was a dome-like structure, which I didn’t like. I asked him that we should change our hotel, but he insisted on staying there. He told me that there was something. I told him that it’s a bad dream as I thought people get such ideas in such place. But he insisted on living in that hotel despite me telling him to change it. His health deteriorated from there and he started having anxiety attacks. When I asked him what is happening, he told me that in 2013, he had a depressive episode and met a psychiatrist called Haresh Shetty. He told me that the same doctor advised him to take Modafinil, [the medicine that] he took on the flight. He told me that he was fine after that. After that, now he was feeling more depressed and anxious. Then we cut short the trip and returned.”
Showik-Sushant
Rhea also talked about Showik-Sushant bonding and said that Sushant had insisted Showik to join them on the trip. She also said that she and Showik had both paid Rs 33,000 (Rhea had paid on Showik’s behalf) to be partner in SSR’s company.
“Showik had a great bonding with Sushant. Even we used to joke that Showik is my “sautan”. Sushant, Showik and I were partners in a company called Rhealityx, which dealt with artificial intelligence. It was Sushant who named the company after me. To be a partner in the company, one has to pay Rs 33,000. I paid for Showik as he couldn’t pay because he didn’t have a job. Showik was preparing for CAT exams and was skeptical if he should join us. Sushant insisted Showik to join us on our Europe trip.”
Not Living Off Sushant’s Money; SSR’s Thailand Trip
Denying allegations of living off SSR’s money, Rhea said that her 2019 Paris trip had been arranged by a company that had hired her for a fashion shoot, but Sushant insisted that they make a Europe trip of it.
“I had a fashion shoot by the clothing brand Shein in Paris. The company sent me the tickets. Sushant thought it was a great idea to make a Euro trip out of this, so he cancelled those tickets — I have those tickets, in case I now have to prove everything — and booked first-class tickets, and the rest of the trip he paid for the hotels. He wanted to, and I didn’t have a problem with that. I had a problem with how much he was spending. I thought it was a very expensive trip, but that was how he was. He lived life king-size. Who was I to question that?”
She also talked about his previous Thailand trip with male friends where he spent Rs 70 lakh, booked private jet. She insisted that Sushant liked living like a star and didn’t spend money just on Rhea. She said she wasn’t living off his money, rather they were living like a couple.
“Even before this trip, he went to Thailand with six of his male friends. He booked a private jet for that trip and spent Rs 70 lakh. So, it was not like he spent the money just on me. He was like that as a person. He loved living like a star. I was not living off Sushant Singh Rajput’s money. We were living like a couple.”
SSR’s Sister Slams Interview
Meanwhile, Sushant’s sister Shweta Singh Kirti has slammed Rhea for giving the interview and doing ‘publicity stunts’.
Shweta wrote, demanding Rhea’s arrest – “Government of India needs to see to it that a prime accused should not be moving around giving interviews and doing publicity stunts!!!”
She further wrote – “And the interviewer is no other than Rajdeep Sardesai who was calling my brother as a mediocre actor!! The Prime Accused should be taken under custodial interrogation immediately!! It’s my request to my extended family to block this interview.”