Rhea Chakraborty opens up on relief after Bombay HC returns passport; says, “That feeling of freedom makes me feel like I have got a gift from God”

October 10, 2025 - 5:25 PM IST

Rhea Chakraborty has received significant relief from the Bombay High Court, which recently directed the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to return her passport. The document had been seized during the 2020 investigation into the drugs case linked to Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. With this step, Rhea, who is now rebuilding her life, shared insights into the trauma she endured and the lasting impact of PTSD on her health and daily life.

Rhea Chakraborty opens up on relief after Bombay HC returns passport; says, “That feeling of freedom makes me feel like I have got a gift from God”

Rhea told the Hindustan Times, “The level of trauma that I have seen, whatever happens relative to that, it feels small. I feel this is a gift that every person who goes through trauma receives. It makes you better equipped to deal with any kind of trauma that comes next, and you do value the small things. The most prestigious thing for me in my life today is normalcy.”

The actress added, “Just to have my passport back, whether I take the trip or not, but just to be able to feel free in my head that if some work comes tomorrow that needs me to travel urgently, I can. That feeling of freedom makes me feel like I have got a gift from God. These small things become the big things, and when they do, everything else feels achievable.”

Rhea also spoke candidly about her mental health struggles. “I suffered from PTSD, and at the slightest things, like if a person even ran towards me to open a door, I used to feel so panicky. I used to get lactic acid buildup in my calves because PTSD activates your fight or flight response; you are constantly in that survival mode. Over a period of time, my gut got affected, because the gut is your second brain. I changed my lifestyle completely for two years. I turned vegetarian, and I used to only eat khichdi.”

She added, “I feel that the mental health crisis is a pandemic, and everyone is going through it. I can tell you someone as young as 15-16 today will be like, ‘I have anxiety’ because of the hustle culture. There is a pressure to do so much all the time. There’s still a stigma around mental health. Talking about one’s experiences, whether it’s anxiety, depression, PTSD, or any trauma, it’s still frowned upon. While there is a section of society that has understood that mental health problems are real, the biggest problem that we, as a society, face is judgment.”

On September 30, the Bombay High Court permanently relaxed her bail conditions and ordered the NCB to return her passport, marking another step in her journey toward normalcy.

Also Read : Rhea Chakraborty gets her passport back after 5 years; says “Patience was my only passport” in emotional post