Rhea Chakraborty is a name that has not been in the news the past few years for any of the right reasons. But it is interesting to see her journey now, in the wake of all that happened.
Following intense public scrutiny and a period of professional uncertainty after the tragic death of Sushant Singh Rajput and related legal battles, she has now stepped on a new path by quitting the film industry and instead turning to the business world.
In the last year, Chakraborty launched a clothing label that began as an online fashion venture but quickly gained traction with customers and investors alike, leading to rapid growth and funding milestones.
She has now talked about what she went through and how she launched her business.
What Is Rhea Chakraborty’s Business?
Rhea Chakraborty’s life trajectory completely changed in 2020 after the death of beloved Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
Chakraborty, who was Rajput’s girlfriend at the time, was pulled into an intense and long legal battle after the latter’s family filed a first information report (FIR) at the Patna Police, alleging her and several others of abetment of suicide, and many other reasons.
She was then arrested on September 8, 2020, by India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on the allegation that she and her brother had supplied marijuana to Rajput. However, her case was closed by the CBI in March this year, concluding in their report that Rajput’s death had been a suicide, absolving Rhea Chakraborty and her family of any involvement.
This year’s long battle, though, had many traumatic moments for Chakraborty, who was hounded by the public, who believed her to be the cause of Sushant’s death and subject to media trials from reporters; her family was also not spared.
This entire situation eventually led to Chakraborty finding it difficult to find any work, and soon she herself stepped away from the limelight.
Rhea has now gone into entrepreneurship, launching a fashion and lifestyle brand called Chapter 2 Drip in August 2024. The name Chapter 2 reflects her belief in a fresh beginning, a symbolic second chapter in her life after enduring deep personal and professional challenges.
Read More: Indians On FIRE: ‘Financial Independence, Retire Early’ Movement
Rhea, speaking with CNBC-TV18, Rhea talked about how, “When I was arrested, my T-shirt read: ‘Roses are red, violets are blue, let’s smash the patriarchy, me and you.’ It spoke for me when I couldn’t.”
She further spoke about the impact the controversy had not just on her but also on her brother as well.
She said, “When we went through what we went through, we both sort of lost our careers. I stopped getting acting calls, and Showik had scored 96% in CAT and was set to attend a prestigious college. But he went to jail around the same time, and by the time he came out, the first trimester was over—and so were his MBA plans and future prospects.”
She claims that “It was at this moment that we wanted to create something that gives people their voice—something that helps people feel seen and heard. That’s how this idea was born.”
Within less than a year of launching her brand, she recently opened their first offline store in June this year.
Rhea spoke about this, saying, “I didn’t even have the guts to open a store because overheads naturally increase. Rents on Bandra’s Linking Road are ridiculously high. We were doing well online, and I wanted to stay that way, but Showik found the space and convinced me.
We were building a community, and a community needs a headquarters. We wanted to host events, meet people, talk to them about their Chapter 2. That couldn’t happen if we stayed only online.”
A key boost came from 1 crore seed funding raised from prominent retail entrepreneurs Kishore and Ashni Biyani, who invested in the company after seeing its potential for growth. It didn’t take long for the company to see success, and according to a report by The Indian Express, the brand now has a “valuation of around Rs 40 crore.”
Rhea spoke about how the investment came about, saying, “I invited them on our podcast for a chat, thinking we would just get some insights. But while we were talking and I asked sir for advice, he suddenly said, ‘You can give us free equity.’
I said, ‘One second—I don’t want to give you free equity, but we will give you equity.’ I was confident about my numbers. If your brand isn’t bringing in revenue, nobody will invest in you. But we were generating revenue, we were profitable. I didn’t go for a 5X valuation.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Business Today, The Economic Times, The Indian Express
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Rhea Chakraborty, Rhea Chakraborty bollywood, Rhea Chakraborty quit, Rhea Chakraborty actress, Rhea Chakraborty business, Rhea Chakraborty clothing line
Disclaimer: We do not hold any rights or copyright over any of the images used; these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly email us.
