Bollywood comes together to demand justice for Rhea Chakraborty

Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai apartment on June 14. Ever since his death, his family and scores of fans across the country have held Sushant's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty responsible for his death. While CBI is still probing the case, Rhea has been subjected to a harsh media trial which has been condemned by several prominent Bollywood personalities. On Tuesday as Rhea was sent to 14 days judicial custody on charges of procuring drugs for Rajput by the Narcotics Control Bureau, many prominent Bollywood stars spoke out in support of the actress.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap was one of the first few to speak up in support of Rhea Chakraborty. The filmmaker not only shared the T-shirt slogan that Rhea was seen wearing on Tuesday as she entered NCB office but also revealed why Bollywood had chosen to stay silent over Sushant's death so far. " Everybody baying for Rhea`s blood, asking questions like how did you know she didn`t do this or that to him? How do you (know) what was he going through? Are (we) forgetting that the whole industry has actually known and seen and interacted with SSR over last 9-10 years. Yes we know better."The `Gangs of Wasseypur` director added, "And that is also the reason the whole industry has been quiet so far out of respect for him. And now it is that very knowledge of SSR that has again brought everyone out here together to stand in solidarity for Rhea because it`s gone too far," tweeted Kashyap.

Popular Bollywood star Vidya Balan not only shared a post with the hastag #JusticeForRhea but had earlier strongly condemned the media trial on the the actress. Replying to south actress Lakshmi Manchu's tweet in support of Rhea, Vidya had said, " It is so unfortunate that the tragic and untimely death of a beloved young star Sushant Singh, Rajput has become a media circus. In the same breath, as a woman, my heart breaks at the vilification of Rhea Chakraborty. Isn’t it supposed to be ‘Innocent Until Proven Guilty’, or is it now ‘Guilty Until Proven Innocent’!? Let’s show some respect for the constitutional rights of a citizen and let the law take its course.”

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Taapsee has been vocal about the media trial that has already declared Rhea guilty. Reacting to Lakshmi Manchu's tweet, Taapsee had tweeted, " I didn’t know Sushant on a personal level nor do I know Rhea but what I know is, it only takes to be a human to understand how wrong it is to overtake judiciary to convict someone who isn’t proven guilty. Trust the law of the land for your sanity and the deceased’s sanctity."

Post Rhea's arrest, Taapsee had tweeted that the arrest should not be celebrated by fans who are seeking justice for Rajput's death and wondered whether he too would have been arrested if he was alive. "Correction. She wasn’t consuming. Financing and procuring for Sushant. So in that case if he was alive he would’ve been put behind bars too ? Oh no. She must’ve forced the drugs onto him. Sushant must’ve been force fed marijuana. Yes that’s what it is exactly. We did it guys,” she wrote on Twitter.

One of Rhea's closest friend from showbiz, actress and VJ Shibani Dandekar had lashed out at media who had already declared Rhea as the culprit. Shibani had earlier posted how the media had tarnished Rhea and her family's image and that her only crime was to love a man who was suffering from a mental illness.

Swara Bhaskar stated that Rajput's family had lied about not knowing about his depression and condemned the media trial against Rhea. "She has been vilified and called slanderous names by social media ecosystems and #JusticeForSushant ‘warriors’. Salacious conspiracy theories about her have done the rounds and she, her family and staff at her building have been physically hounded by shameless media personnel.”

Richa had strongly reacted to the viral image of Rhea being hounded by press as she had gone to NCB office on the first day. Later, Richa had shared a cryptic tweet that read as, " “You may think no one is watching... no one can from the sunken depths of their existence... that no one notices your naked greed, your black heart, the real rotting maggot-infested ogre that you are. But you’re wrong. We’re watching. Because for now that’s all we can do. Watch. But watching we are... And we will make sure you pay for your actions , one way or another... It is this righteous rage that frightens you... you rush to muzzle it’s voice. But you’re destined to fail... for truth emerges, like the sun... night after night... Wait. Watch. You’re welcome.”

Rhea's 'smash patriatrchy' slogan went viral almost immediately after arrest with leading stars from Bollywood including Sonam Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Radhika Apte, Radhika Madan, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, Huma Qureshi and many others sharing the quote and demanding justice for Rhea. It was perhaps for the first time that India witness leading actresses of Bollywood show solidarity for one of their own and stand against the media trial.

Not just the leading ladies of Bollywood, but the men too spoke up. Actors Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Pulkit Samrat and Vijay Varma were amonth prominent names who spoke up against the unfair arrest of Rhea Chakraborty.