4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Dec 14, 2025 07:34 AM IST
Richa Chadha, who made her Bollywood debut with Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), shot to fame with Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), followed by Fukrey (2013) and its sequels in 2017 and 2023. For many fans, she remains synonymous with her popular character Bholi Punjaban. She further cemented her place as a powerhouse performer with acclaimed projects like Masaan and Heeramandi. But, after embracing motherhood and welcoming her daughter Zuni with her husband, actor Ali Fazal, Richa stepped away from the spotlight for nearly two years.
Now, as she returns to work, the actor has shared a deeply emotional note on Instagram, revealing that her hiatus was caused not only by pregnancy and postpartum recovery but also by “deep professional betrayals.”
Richa Chadha posted a series of photos and videos featuring her daughter and loved ones who have stood by her over the years.
The actor wrote, “On Sunday, I went back to work after nearly 2 years. As much as I would have liked to get back sooner, my body, my mind wasn’t ready at all. But other than these tangible issues, I have had to deal with deep professional betrayals from close quarters.”
She continued, “I have learnt that in the industry, a rare few have ethics and courage. Most people operate from such deep-seated inferiority complexes and scarcity mentality that they never mean what they say. They’re never happy — like dementors, they suck all joy out of life.”
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In another note, Richa reflected on the treatment she received during her most vulnerable phase: “Those that have displayed cruelty towards me during my most vulnerable phase perhaps never received adequate love in their own lives. I forgive, but I NEVER forget. Please bear this in mind should you cross my path. You know who you are.”
One of her posts included an image of Goddess Kali with the caption, “Are you scared? Good.”
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Richa Chadha also shared a picture of the women who have supported her — Shabana Azmi, Dia Mirza, Divya Dutta, Urmila Matondkar, Konkona Sen Sharma, and Vidya Balan — thanking them for their unwavering presence.
“If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes amazing support to help the mom — because Mommy doesn’t remember who she was before the baby was born. The mental recovery took longer than I hoped,” she wrote.
She went on to reflect on how social media has evolved, noting that Instagram — once a place for random, casual posts — has become a content-driven marketplace.
“Everyone tells you to post more, create more ‘content,’ but I am not employed by SM. I have a life. And I have been so afraid to share the littlest snippet from it, lest I receive podcast invites to ‘talk about it,’ with cameras zooming in on every tear.”
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She added, “I miss the days when IG used to be a place where you uploaded photos of what you ate and other mundane things.”
Critiquing the commodification of personal struggles online, Richa wrote: “This end-stage necro-capitalism ensures that whenever someone talks about a topic, that’s it — that’s the niche that needs to be marketed! Why can’t you discuss an eating disorder without selling a diet? Why can’t you discuss postpartum depression without becoming the poster-child for it? Why can’t you be a body-positivity enthusiast without sharing a close-up of your stretch marks? We must pause to ask what the point of sharing is. Is it to help others feel less alone, or is it to get rich?”
She ended with a playful note — “I am already RICHa. Hehe.” — followed by a powerful sign-off:
“Jo dikhta hai woh bikta hai, par main bikau nahi hoon (What sells is what’s seen, but I am not for sale).”
Richa Chadha talks about motherhood and surviving Bollywood. (Photo: Instagram/Richa Chadha)