Rhea Pillai: It’s unfortunate that I have to ask some very private questions, publicly

Yesterday’s media headlines read that Rhea Pillai had sought that Leander Paes’ passport be impounded. As the warring couple fires salvos against each other, their nine-year-old daughter Aiyana continues to be the bone of contention between them.
You were a supermodel and an enterprising person. These days, we only read about you in context to your legal proceedings against Leander...
Unfortunately or fortunately, the past two years have forced me to address life from a different perspective. Today, as a woman and a mother, I have to ask some very private questions, very publicly. I ask for accountability.
Many allegations have been made against me and probably, once upon a time, in the name of peace, I would have let it be in the quiet. However, today, I have grown to demand answers. I demand proof and I refuse to let any human being treat another with so much disrespect. So, I’m spending time with my legal team, at courts, writing to people in authority because I seek and want justice. The process is painful. Often, I’m up against both — position and money power. And yes, a system that needs to be more ‘woman-friendly’. I believe these experiences will probably give birth to a more public life, where I can address the issues of women that need help in being heard, for I have understood what it is to be in that position.
READ: Rhea Pillai seeks to ground globetrotting Leander Paes
Is Sanjay Dutt a friend even now?
Well, when you spend 10 years with a person, the time spent will always be a part of your life in some way. I wish Sanjay and his family all the very best.
You also have friends like Avanti Birla, Kaajal Anand and Gauri Khan who have rallied around you in all your emergencies…
My friends are my world! I have to say I have great wealth when I view my various wonderful relationships. Many are family to me. The last two difficult years have brought to the stage friendships that stand the test of time and shine in the face of adversity. I’m very grateful for them.
Quite obviously, your daughter Aiyana is the centre of your universe...
Aiyana is my heart that runs around and lives outside my body. We have spent the last nine years so utterly together. Bringing her up almost single-handedly has been exhilarating, exhausting and empowering. I have lived and loved every single minute of it. She has matured over the last couple of years. I pray that all her personal experiences will encourage her to stand up for what she believes in, irrespective of the odds against her.
Does Leander take part in the PTA meetings, etc?
Leander spends most of the year out of the country on his tennis circuit; his schedule is demanding. He has not been able to make it to most PTA meetings. However, Aiyana’s grades are great enough to make both her parents proud.
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WATCH: Leander Paes Rhea Pillai Spend Time Together In London