Rhea Chakraborty on post-arrest trauma: 'It stays in your body'
Synopsis
Four years after their NCB arrests, Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Shovik are speaking openly about PTSD, therapy, and a trauma they say never fully leaves. On Neha Dhupia's Double Date, Rhea's admission — 'it stays in your body' — cuts through the noise of a case that consumed Indian media and raises a quieter question: what does recovery look like when the whole country was watching?
Key Takeaways
Rhea Chakraborty and brother Shovik Chakraborty appeared on Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi's YouTube show Double Date to discuss life after their 2020 NCB arrests .
Rhea said trauma from that period 'stays in your body, if not in your mind' and cannot be fully overcome.
Shovik revealed he still experiences PTSD , triggered by everyday sounds such as a doorbell, recalling the chaos of the arrest period.
The siblings said recovery took roughly four to five years , with difficult days still occurring.
Both credited therapy as central to their ongoing healing process.
Rhea acknowledged the added burden of their ordeal being entirely public , saying 'everyone knows about it, everyone talks about it.'
Actress Rhea Chakraborty has opened up about the lasting psychological toll of her arrest by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in 2020, saying the trauma from that period is not something one can fully leave behind. She made the candid admission on Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi's YouTube chat show Double Date, appearing alongside her brother Shovik Chakraborty.
The Arrests and What Followed
Both siblings were taken into custody by the NCB in 2020 during a drug-related investigation connected to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The episode on Double Date marked one of their more candid public conversations about life before and after that period — covering trauma, therapy, and the slow process of healing.
Shovik's Account: From MBA Dreams to PTSD
Shovik Chakraborty described his life before the arrests as the polar opposite of what followed. 'Chapter 1 was completely opposite. I was this nerd who was trying to get into an MBA college, either IIM or Wharton. IIM was even a better option,' he recalled. He said life changed without warning: 'Then everything went south. No one can predict these things. Life just takes you completely by surprise.'
Shovik revealed that recovery took the siblings roughly four to five years and that even now, difficult days persist. He also disclosed that he continues to live with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 'Sometimes a random doorbell rings and it 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.
Rhea on Trauma: 'It Stays in Your Body'
When host Neha Dhupia asked whether she had been able to fully recover, Rhea was direct: 'It's not something that you can truly get over. It's trauma. It stays in your body, if not in your mind.' She echoed her brother's reference to PTSD and described healing as a continuous process rather than a fixed endpoint. 'You do your therapy and you deal with it,' she said.
The Weight of Public Scrutiny
Rhea also noted that what made their experience distinctly harder was that it unfolded entirely in the public eye. 'Ours was public, so everyone knows about it, everyone talks about it, and that's okay,' she said — suggesting a degree of acceptance without minimising the impact. Despite the scars, she indicated that both siblings have found a way to move forward.
Double Date streams on YouTube. The episode offers a rare, unfiltered look at how public figures navigate private grief under national scrutiny.
Point of View
Measured re-entry into public conversation on her own terms. The media frenzy around the Sushant Singh Rajput case was among the most intense in recent Indian television history, and the psychological cost to those at its centre was rarely examined with any seriousness. Shovik's PTSD disclosure and Rhea's framing of trauma as something that 'stays in your body' align with clinical understanding — and deserve to be treated as such, not as a PR exercise. The more uncomfortable question mainstream coverage has avoided is how media conduct during high-profile criminal investigations shapes the mental health of those who are ultimately not convicted.
NationPress
25 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Rhea Chakraborty say about her trauma on Double Date?
Rhea Chakraborty said that the trauma from her 2020 NCB arrest is 'not something that you can truly get over,' adding that 'it stays in your body, if not in your mind.' She described healing as an ongoing process involving therapy rather than a definitive recovery.
Why were Rhea and Shovik Chakraborty arrested in 2020?
Both were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in 2020 during a drug-related investigation linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The case drew extensive national media attention at the time.
What is Shovik Chakraborty's current mental health situation?
Shovik Chakraborty disclosed on Double Date that he continues to experience PTSD. He said everyday triggers such as a doorbell ringing can take him back to the chaos of the arrest period, and that full recovery took the siblings roughly four to five years.
What is Double Date and where can it be watched?
Double Date is a chat show hosted by Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedi that streams on YouTube. The episode featuring Rhea and Shovik Chakraborty covers their personal experiences with trauma, therapy, and recovery after their 2020 arrests.
How did Rhea Chakraborty describe the public nature of her ordeal?
Rhea acknowledged that unlike most personal struggles, theirs played out entirely in the public eye. She said 'everyone knows about it, everyone talks about it,' and described that reality as something she has come to accept.
