He is like a father to me, says Rhea Chakraborty

Dealing with trolls on social media has almost become a rite of passage for Bollywood actresses these days. And the latest to be a made a target of is actress Rhea Chakraborty.

Rhea recently shared a series of pictures along with a heartfelt note, on Instagram, on the occasion of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt’s birthday, and that was enough to spark some rather nasty comments. The caption read, “Happy birthday to my Buddha @maheshfilm. Sir, this is us - you held me with love, you showed me love, and you have unclipped my wings forever, you are the "heart hitting " fire that ignites every soul it comes by! Words fail me I love you,” and within minutes, the post was flooded with hate comments regarding the actress' “inappropriate” closeness with the 70-year-old. Some even compared them with Anup Jalota and Jasleen Matharu, who are currently on Season 12 of Bigg Boss.

Rhea reveals that all of the hate did take a toll on her. “I won’t lie, I was very upset. He is like a father to me, he is my mentor, and people just don’t get it,” she says. The actress, who will soon be seen in the Bhatts’ film Jalebi, adds, “Mahesh Bhatt has been a great influence in many people’s lives. The vibe he brings onto the set is very positive. If at all you are wearing a mask, he asks you to remove it be yourself.”