Rhea Chakraborty quits acting, launches clothing brand that hit ₹40 crore worth in just one year

Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty has stepped away from her acting career for some time. Personal hardships had severely affected her professional life. Her struggles began in 2020 following the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, with whom she was in a relationship. Rhea was arrested in connection with Sushant’s death, a case that attracted massive media attention. Her time in jail and subsequent legal proceedings took a toll on her acting career. The legal matters also impacted her family and her brother Showik Chakraborty’s MBA studies.

Rhea was later acquitted, but by then, major career losses had already occurred. After returning, she chose to step away from acting entirely. To move forward, she and her brother Showik started their own clothing brand. Within a year, the brand reached a valuation of approximately ₹40 crore.

The brand is called Chapter 2 Drill, focusing mainly on streetwear. Its collection includes oversized T-shirts, baggy jeans, hoodies and unisex garments with bold, empowering messages. Over 90% of the collection is unisex, making a huge impact in India’s $115 billion fashion market.

By May 2025, the company’s valuation reached ₹40 crore, primarily supported through seed funding from centi-millionaires Kishore Biyani and Ashni Biyani.

Speaking about the bold messages on the T-shirts, Rhea said: “When I was arrested, my T-shirt read: ‘Roses are red, violets are blue, let’s break the patriarchy, me and you.’ I couldn’t speak then, but the T-shirt spoke for me.”

Rhea added that she and her brother wanted to create something that gave a voice to people navigating difficult times, going through change, and seeking self-expression. In May 2025, the brand opened its first physical store in Bandra, Mumbai.