Rhea Chakraborty recalls earning Rs 3 lakh as MTV VJ at 17: ‘Spent it on fixing my face’

Rhea then spoke about the money she earned during her stint as an MTV VJ. She revealed that her last salary was Rs 3 lakh, an amount that seemed huge to her at such a young age.

Rhea says she spent her salary on ‘fixing’ her face

“At that time, a VJ used to get good money. I think Rs 3 lakh was my last salary. But I was also just 17-18 years old, so I really thought I was damn rich. Spent this money on fixing my face,” she said.

Rhea’s candid confession prompted a light-hearted exchange with Tanmay Bhat. When he asked whether he should also get his face “fixed”, the actor responded that everyone should consider it, while pointing out how much cosmetic technology has advanced.

She added, “Everyone should get their face lift. Technology is next level now. There is everything…”

Rhea Chakraborty’s career

Rhea began her career as a VJ before making her acting debut with the Telugu film Tuneega Tuneega in 2012. She later entered Bollywood with Mere Dad Ki Maruti and went on to feature in films including Sonali Cable, Bank Chor, Jalebi and Chehre.

Rhea Chakraborty and Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case

Her personal life, however, came under intense media scrutiny following her relationship with actor Sushant Singh Rajput. After his death in June 2020, Rhea faced extensive media coverage and allegations in connection with the case. The Narcotics Control Bureau also arrested her in a drugs-related investigation, and she was later granted bail.

In March 2025, the Central Bureau of Investigation filed a closure report in the case, concluding that it was a “simple case of suicide” and finding no evidence of abetment by the people named in the FIRs, including Rhea and her family.

Rhea on The Traitors 2

Following the intense media scrutiny, Rhea revealed that she had stopped receiving work for a period. She eventually returned to the entertainment industry in 2023 as a gang leader on the reality show Roadies: Karm Ya Kaand. Since then, she has remained active in the public eye through podcasts, interviews and various appearances.

Rhea is now set to appear in the second season of The Traitors, hosted by Karan Johar.

In a promo video, Rhea addressed Karan Johar and spoke about being cleared in the case. She said, “Main innocent banna chahti hoon. Is saal mujhe clean chit mili hai, aur logon ko pata chala hai ki main innocent hoon (I want to be seen as innocent. This year, I received a clean chit, and people came to know that I am innocent).”

Rhea to Karan: “Main innocent banna chahti hoon. Is saal mujhe clean chit mili hai, aur logon ko pata chala hai ki main innocent hoon.” 👀#TheTraitorsOnPrime #TheTraitors #Traitors2 #RheaChakroborty pic.twitter.com/2QJWuoJmH1

— Digital News Hub Media (@digital_media29) August 11, 2026

The reality show features 21 celebrities, including Mallika Sherawat, Munawar Faruqui, Shweta Tiwari, Abhishek Malhan, Krystle D’Souza, Parul Gulati, Dalip Tahil, Shahneel Gill, Shalini Passi, Ranveer Brar, Aaditya Kulshreshth, Harman Baweja, Prish, Rida Tharana, Soundous Moufakir and rapper Ikka.

The show will premiere on Prime Video on August 13.