Rhea Chakraborty was called 'witch' but not anymore, says Chehre director: 'people don't troll her now'

Sushant Singh Rajput had solidified his place in the Indian film industry, but was taken from it too soon. A young, talented actor who seemed to have won over the audience’s hearts, was discovered dead in his Mumbai apartment on June 14, 2020. The news of his untimely demise came as a major shock to people across the country. One among the many grieving people is director Rumi Jafry, who was working with the late actor on a new film, which was supposed to go on floors after the lockdown last year.

Rumi had earlier revealed that Rhea Chakraborty was cast opposite Sushant in that project. Sushant and Rhea were dating each other at the time of the former’s death. Now, Rumi Jafry, who is currently gearing up for the theatrical release of his long-delayed directorial Chehre, has opened up about whether or not he is planning to pursue the particular project anymore.

“Chehre was originally releasing in April last year and I was supposed to start the shoot with Sushant in May. Several producers approached me for that film, saying that they wanted to work with Sushant. Because everybody in the industry knew that Sushant was very choosy about scripts so they thought if he had okayed this script then koi toh baat hogi. Following this, Sushant and I got very close through the process. And I have a habit of writing scripts keeping my actors in mind, be it Salman Khan or Sanjay Dutt. Now whenever I see that script, Sushant’s face comes into my mind. So, I have kept that script in my locker for now. Let some time pass and then I’ll see whether I want to make it at all or cast somebody else. But for now, I’m not making it," Rumi Jafry told media.

Chehre, which is set to release on August 27 in cinemas, also features Rhea, who faced heavy public scrutiny after Sushant’s family lodged a formal police complaint accusing her of abetting the actor’s suicide. In September, Rhea was arrested by Narcotics Control Bureau in connection with its investigation of a drug angle linked to Sushant’s death. She is currently out on a bail. Rhea has denied all the charges. But Sushant’s fans have, time and again, called for her boycott on social media.

However, the director said that a large number of people are gradually starting to like Rhea after “an unfair media trial" that she was subjected to last year. “I have no stress at all about Rhea’s presence in Chehre. It will neither benefit nor harm the film. She has done a brilliant job in the film," he said.

“Also if you look at the perception of the media, it has also changed. Last year, Rhea was being called a ‘witch,’ a gold-digger and whatnot. And exactly after one year, she was given the most desirable woman award. Now, people don’t troll or trouble her unnecessarily anymore," he added.

Chehre, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi, is a mystery thriller. It was earlier set to bow out on April 30 but was postponed in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19.