Monalisa Bhosle, the Indore woman who became an internet sensation during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela and came to be known as the “Kumbh Mela girl”, and her partner Farman Khan on Thursday addressed the media to dismiss allegations of “love jihad” and religious conversion surrounding their interfaith marriage, a day after tying the knot in Kerala.
The newly married couple said the rumours were unfounded and stressed that neither of them had changed their faith after the wedding.
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, the couple emphasised that their relationship was built on mutual respect and that religion had never been a condition for their marriage.
Monalisa said their wedding was conducted according to Hindu customs and acknowledged that the decision was largely driven by her.
“Our marriage was solemnised according to Hindu rituals. To be honest, he didn’t actually want to marry me, but I was the one who insisted. I practically forced him to marry me,” she said.
She added that she had earlier resisted pressure from her family to marry another person.
“My parents back home wanted to arrange my marriage with someone else, but I didn’t like that guy. Since marrying my aunt’s son would essentially mean marrying a brother. I decided that I definitely wouldn’t marry him,” she explained.
Addressing speculation about religious conversion, Farman categorically denied the claims.
“Yes, I did get married according to Hindu rituals. As for all the things people are saying here—claiming love jihad and Monalisa’s conversion to Islam—none of that is true,” he said.
The actor further clarified that both of them continue to practice their own faiths.
“I still follow the Muslim faith today. There is absolutely no truth to the rumours. Neither of us has changed our religion, nor has either of us converted. We continue to practice our respective faiths,” he said.
Monalisa echoed the sentiment, emphasising that religion does not divide them.
“I regard all religions as one and the same. Whichever religion it may be—that is my religion,” she said.
Farman added that their decision to marry according to Hindu rituals was simply to respect his partner’s wishes.
“The reality is quite different: I married according to Hindu rituals because Monalisa is a Hindu. I went along with whatever Monalisa wanted, doing things exactly the way she suggested, because her happiness is what matters to me,” he said, adding that love does not require conversion. “In matters of love, it is not necessary for one person to convert. All religions are equal.”
MONALISA DEFIES FAMILY TO MARRY PARTNER
The couple married at the Nainar Temple in Thiruvananthapuram after approaching the Thampanoor police station for assistance amid resistance from Monalisa’s family.
Police said she had made it clear that she intended to marry Farman and remain with him, noting that both individuals were adults capable of making their own choices.
Monalisa, who first gained national attention after a viral video from the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela showed her selling rudraksh garlands, had travelled to Kerala for a film shoot when the dispute with her family surfaced.
Despite the initial tension, the couple proceeded with their wedding plans, bringing their six-month relationship to marriage while reiterating that their union reflects personal choice rather than religious change.
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