Rhea Chakraborty says she earned ₹3 lakh a month at just 17… then reveals where all the money went

New Delhi: Actor Rhea Chakraborty has opened up about the impressive salary she earned as a teenage MTV VJ, revealing that she was taking home nearly ₹3 lakh per month when she was only 17 or 18 years old. Speaking candidly during a conversation on Tanmay Bhat’s YouTube channel, Rhea also surprised fans by sharing that much of her earnings went into “fixing” her face.

Looking back at the beginning of her career, Rhea recalled that her first celebrity interview was with Salman Khan. She admitted that she initially couldn’t understand why everyone around her was encouraging her to conduct the interview. Later, she realised that many people were nervous about interviewing the Bollywood superstar themselves.

Reflecting on those days, Rhea said that being an MTV VJ was financially rewarding. According to her, her last salary in the role was around ₹3 lakh per month, an amount she considered enormous at such a young age. She jokingly revealed that she spent much of that income on cosmetic enhancements, adding that aesthetic technology has advanced significantly over the years.

Rhea began her entertainment career as a television presenter before making her acting debut with the Telugu film Tuneega Tuneega in 2012. She entered Bollywood the following year with Mere Dad Ki Maruti and later appeared in films including Sonali Cable, Bank Chor, Jalebi, and Dobaaraa: See Your Evil.

ALSO READ : Suriya Reveals Why He Became an Actor: ‘There Were Financial Issues at Home… I Intended to Give My Mom Money’

While her professional journey showed promise, her personal life brought unprecedented public attention after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020. Rhea faced intense media scrutiny and legal proceedings during the investigation and was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a drugs-related case before being granted bail.

In 2025, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted its closure report, stating that it found no evidence to support allegations of murder or abetment against Rhea and others. The closure report was later accepted by a Mumbai court, bringing the long-running investigation to a formal close.

The actor has previously spoken about how the controversy affected her career, revealing that work opportunities almost disappeared during that period. However, she gradually returned to the entertainment industry in 2023 as a gang leader on Roadies: Karm Ya Kaand and has since remained active through podcasts, interviews, and public appearances.

Rhea is now preparing for her next television appearance in the second season of The Traitors, hosted by Karan Johar. The reality series features several well-known personalities from the entertainment industry and is set to premiere on Prime Video on August 13.

With her latest revelations, Rhea has once again offered fans a glimpse into her life before Bollywood fame, sharing how success arrived early and how youthful decisions shaped her journey in unexpected ways.