#LetsSmashPatriarchy: Tollywood stars stand in solidarity with Rhea Chakraborty

On Tuesday morning, when Rhea Chakraborty reached the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for questioning with the emergence of the drug angle in the Sushant Singh Rajput’s case, she was sporting a black T-shirt with the words, ‘Roses are red, violets are blue, Let’s smash patriarchy, Me and You’.
The model-actress was arrested in the evening in Mumbai in connection with drug-related allegations and will remain in NCB custody for the next 14 days.Her message has now become an uproar for people who are coming out in support of #JusticeForRhea. Not just Bollywood but Tollywood celebs like Aditi Rao Hydari, Rakul Preet Singh, Lakshmi Manchu, Dia Mirza, etc., have also reposted the message standing in solidarity against the alleged ‘media trial in the case’ and the unfair treatment meted out to Rhea.

The first Tollywood actress to stand up for her colleague Rhea was Lakshmi Manchu, who wrote a note about the need for truth to come out in the most honest way after watching Rhea’s side of the story during a television interview. She then took to Twitter and wrote, “I see so many people so silent because the media has made a monster out of a girl. I don’t know the truth and I want to know the truth and I hope the truth will come out in the most honest way…Until then, can we restrain ourselves from being evil and cruel and lynching of person and her entire family without knowing the facts.” She also wrote, “If something like this happened to me, I would want my colleagues to stand up for me at least the ones that know me…”

After Lakshmi’s post, actress Vidya Balan took to Twitter to thank the actress for raising her voice. She wrote, “It is so unfortunate that the tragic and untimely death of a beloved young star Sushant Singh Rajput has become a media circus…As a woman, my heart breaks at the vilification of Rhea Chakraborty. Isn’t it supposed to be ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ or is it now ‘Guilty until proven innocent’!?”

After her arrest on Tuesday, social media pages were filled with the slogan that was written on Rhea’s T-shirt. On Wednesday, Rakul Preet Singh, who has been a part of films like took to Instagram stories to post the slogan. Aditi Rao Hydari, who recently made her Telugu debut with also took to her Instagram stories to post the slogan. Dia Mirza, who will soon be seen in Nagarjuna’s also took to Insta to post the slogan albeit a caption.
Lakshmi Manchu, who has become vocal about her stand, also took to Insta to speak the need to support strong women. Along with the post, she wrote, “ Congratulations to the Indian Media channels for making the most money out of the death of #SSR and by ruining a family that served our country. I guess conscience these days is a luxury. I want to know if you really cared about SSR or was it just the money that you are enjoying at their expense or the fame. This country has been built & supported by strong women over the years and with the current scenario it is important and by important, I mean we need to preach that - We should all see gender as a whole spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.”