Rhea Chakraborty has once again spoken about the difficult period that followed the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020. Nearly six years after the tragedy that changed her life, the actress has reflected on the emotional impact of the investigations, her time in jail, and how watching Aryan Khan go through a similar public ordeal brought back painful memories of what her family experienced. Speaking to Variety India, Rhea shared that Aryan Khan's arrest and the intense scrutiny surrounding it reminded her not only of her own struggles but even more of what her brother, Showik Chakraborty, went through during the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) investigation.Aryan Khan's case reminded Rhea of her ordealDuring the conversation, Rhea revealed that she reached out to Aryan Khan when he found himself at the centre of a high-profile drugs case and media attention. According to her, the similarities between the situations were difficult to ignore.She said, “I did. When I saw what Aryan was going through, it took me back because it was spectacularly similar. In fact, more than my story, it looked a lot like Showik’s story. They also have a resemblance. It was very, very hard to watch. I did not speak to the media many times, and I still do not.”Rhea and her brother Showik were both arrested by the NCB in 2020 during the investigation that followed Sushant Singh Rajput's death. The actress later received bail, while the case remained under public discussion for years. She said watching Aryan face similar headlines and public attention brought back memories she had tried to move past.Looking back at 27 days in jailThe actress also opened up about her 27-day stay in jail, describing it as one of the toughest experiences of her life. She spoke about the loss of identity and uncertainty that came with being behind bars.“The hardest part about being in jail is being in jail. Just knowing that you are no longer part of society. You are a number. You are not a person. You are deemed unfit to live in society. You are so bad or so pathetic that you are considered harmful to society. That is why you have been put away. It really crushes your ego completely. Your self-esteem, too. You question a lot of things. Being away from family and being so uncertain about your liberty and your freedom is really challenging,” she said.Rhea further admitted that the aftermath of the controversy took a significant emotional toll on her. She spoke about experiencing what she described as a "victim-spiraling" phase and dealing with sadness, anxiety, anger, grief and symptoms of PTSD. She acknowledged that some of those feelings still surface from time to time.Friends who stood by herWhile discussing that difficult period, Rhea also credited a small group of friends for standing by her when public sentiment was largely against her.“I had a bunch of close friends who stood by me. At the time, it was not cool to support me. Anyone who supported me used to get trolled and lose job opportunities. It was miserable for them. Shibani, Nidhi, Anisha, Samisha, and Anusha, my girlfriends, really held fort,” she said.She also highlighted the support extended by actors Saqib Saleem and Huma Qureshi during a time when both she and Showik were in jail.“Saqib supported my parents a lot when Showik and I were in jail. I have been blessed to have these people in my life. If you have one true friend, that is enough to go through anything,” she added.Reflecting on what she witnessed in prison, Rhea said she hopes to eventually work towards helping undertrial prisoners who struggle to access legal representation.“In the last five years, I have tried to wear my own oxygen mask first. I was not in a position to help anyone else until I helped myself. But I hope I get to a place where I can fight for injustices in undertrial prisons in India and help people who cannot afford representation,” she said.Moving forward after years of scrutinyRhea's life changed dramatically after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput on June 14, 2020. As his then-girlfriend, she became the focus of multiple investigations and intense media attention. In 2025, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted its closure report in the case, clearing her of wrongdoing.Since then, Rhea has slowly rebuilt her professional life. She was recently seen on MTV Roadies: Double Cross, launched her clothing venture Chapter 2 with brother Showik, and is preparing for her acting comeback with the Netflix series Family Business.