Actress Rhea Chakraborty, who was in Kolkata on Thursday to participate in the Calcutta Monsoon Derby 2023, has been in the news recently for her strong comeback with a Roadies win. On the sidelines of the races, she spoke to us about her career and more. Excerpts:

It feels really good. Work is always good, it’s therapeutic. It’s a confidence booster to be working and being independent again.

This is a short trip, but I definitely look forward to coming here and eating as much as I can – from phuchkas to egg rolls to bhapa illish and sweets. I’ll definitely take back some sandesh. I’ve just been able to get breakfast, lunch and snacks from unnamed places this time and in Kolkata, all places serve great food. We used to come to Kolkata often to visit my jethu dadu, who used to live in Lake Place. He passed away recently.

I’ve heard that Pujo themes are getting very innovative these days in Kolkata; that there was even a phuchka-themed pandal this year.

It has been a full circle for me. The journey from Teen Diva to Roadies has been my life journey in a way. Roadies is exciting, as it’s a lot like life – has a lot of ups and downs and many challenges. I had a lot of fun!

We visited pandals close to our house, had Bengali food at home and friends came over for lunch on Dashami. I haven’t been in Kolkata during Pujo for three-four years now, but I’ve heard that themes are getting very innovative these days; that there was even a phuchka-themed pandal this year.

I have attended races in Mumbai and Pune, but this was my first time in Kolkata. I love the energy, the vibe and the strong heritage feel to it.