THE TIMES OF INDIA (August 22, 2020)

Mumbai: In a WhatsApp chat with film director Mahesh Bhatt on June 8, actor Rhea Chakraborty said that she was leaving her boyfriend (late actor Sushant Singh Rajput).

In a statement on August 18, she had claimed that on June 8, it was Rajput who had insisted on her leaving as one of his sisters was coming to live with him.

A series of WhatsApp exchanges between Rhea and Bhatt on June 8 have gone viral on social media. Mahesh Bhatt was not available for comment.

In it, Rhea also hinted that her father might not have been happy about her relationship with Rajput. Alluding to the character Aisha she played in the film ‘Jalebi’, which was produced by Mahesh Bhatt, Rhea in her chat said, “Aisha moves on...sir...with a heavy heart and a sense of relief. Our last call was a wake up call.” Bhatt replied to her, “Don’t look back. Make it possible what is inevitable. My love to your father. He will be a happy man.” Rhea replied: “Have found some courage sir, and what you said about my dad that day on the phone pushed me to be strong to him!”

Reacting to the alleged chat exchange between Rhea and Bhatt on June 8, advocate Satish Maneshinde, who represents Rhea, on Friday said, “Whatever she has told the police is contained in the chat messages.’’ Maneshinde said she had mentioned about leaving Rajput’s house as she was asked to leave by him. “Her feelings when she left Sushant Singh are contained in the chats with Mahesh Bhatt who, for her, is like a father figure.’’ “She had left with a bag and all her belongings as he had asked her to leave. Earlier, on a number of occasions when they were together in the house, she was asked to leave the house when relatives or his family members came over. But on those occasions, she was not asked by Sushant to take all her belongings too. This time, her brother came to fetch her and her belongings,” he said.

Earlier on June 8, Rhea had arranged to have a therapy session and had asked Rajput if she could leave after it was done. “However, Sushant told her to leave immediately, before his sister arrived. Thus, Rhea reluctantly left and informed Sushant to let her or her brother know about anything he required or in case he needed to talk,’’ Maneshinde had said in a statement that was issued on August 18.