Unreality Show

Actress Rhea Chakraborty has been arrested after three days of interrogation by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drugs case linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death in June—a case that has divided public opinion and put the spotlight on a section of media that is accused of abandoning journalistic ethics and decency.

Rhea, 28, who was living with the actor till a few days before he was found hanging in his Mumbai home, was remanded in judicial custody till September 22. The court rejected Rhea’s bail application. The NCB told the court that she was an “active member” of a drugs syndicate and procured drugs for Sushant. Her lawyer Satish Maneshinde said: “Three central agencies are hounding a single woman, just because she was in love with a drug addict and a person suffering from mental health issues.”

His comments and the NCB’s contention that Rhea used to “score” drugs—ganja or marijuana—for Sushant paint the actor in poor light—that he was a “drug addict” and long dead to defend himself.  That brings the question—would he have approved of being outed as a drug addict? Is this not an irony that the campaign to get him justice posthumously has actually ended up tarnishing his image?     

The NCB had earlier arrested Rhea’s brother Showik and another co-accused, Samuel Miranda. Rhea is facing an abetment to suicide case in connection with the Sushant’s death, which the CBI is investigating, and a money laundering case is with the ED.

Facing a brutal media trial, Rhea, however, found support from many Bollywood personalities. The message on Rhea’s T-shirt on the day of her arrest—“Roses are red, violets are blue, Let’s smash patriarchy, me and you”—trended on social media with her supporters posting the slogan in solidarity. Those who shared the message include Sonam Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu, Vidya Balan, Anurag Kashyap, Shabana Azmi and Farhan Akhtar. “He (Sushant) engaged in drugs and suffered from mental illness. Why is this so difficult to accept? Why is a woman incriminated and called names for an adult man’s life choice,” tweeted Atika Chohan, co-writer of the Deepika Padukone-starrer Chhapaak.

On the other side, actress Kangana Ranaut, who is running a vocal campaign against what she calls rampant drug use in Bollywood,  returned from her Manali home to Mumbai. She has been given Y category security following protests and threats after she likened Mumbai to PoK and made critical remarks against Mumbai police in connection with the Sushant case. Ranaut had crossed swords with Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut after he said that she should not return to Mumbai if she felt unsafe in the city. The Maharashtra government said police will probe allegations of drug abuse by Kangana, while alterations made at her Mumbai bungalow came under the city civic authority’s scanner.