Farman says Monalisa did not elope, came with her father:Dismisses ‘love jihad’ claims, says she will keep her faith

Monalisa Bhonsle, a resident of Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district who went viral on social media while selling Rudraksha beads during Prayagraj Mahakumbh 2025, has married her boyfriend Farman Khan in a temple in Kerala. The marriage has triggered controversy after film director Sanoj Mishra made sensational claims on Facebook I am receiving beheading threats, PFI orchestrated Monalisa’s love jihad in Kerala by setting a trap Farman said – Kerala government provided lot of support Monalisa and her husband Farman Khan addressed a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Farman said they may continue living in Kerala if they like it there. He said the people of Kerala are very supportive and that they received far more support for their wedding than they expected. For now, the couple will stay in Thiruvananthapuram. Farman also thanked the Kerala government, ministers, media and the temple authorities where the wedding took place. He said they were surprised to see so many people attending the ceremony. Monalisa said she has one younger sister named Jessica and two brothers. “There are four siblings in total and I am the eldest,” she added. Farman said: Monalisa’s age is not less Farman said media reports claiming that Monalisa is underage are incorrect. He said if she had been underage, the marriage would not have taken place and they would not have received a marriage certificate through the government’s Smart App system. According to him, the certificate has been issued by the local panchayat and the temple authorities also provided documentation. He displayed the marriage certificate during the press conference. Monalisa did not run away from home, she came with her father Farman said rumours in North India claiming that Monalisa ran away from home are false. He said she came to Kerala with her father about ten days ago. The couple now wishes to continue living in Kerala because they like the place. Farman also spoke about a film project titled “Nagamma”, directed by PK Beenu Varghese. He said the film is currently in the process stage, which usually lasts about 25 days before shooting begins. Production agreements have already been completed, but the shooting has not started yet. Farman said they met about six months ago during work related to the film. He added that Monalisa was the one who proposed to him first. Monalisa confirmed this during the interaction. Monalisa told Farman she would commit suicide if he didn’t marry her Farman said Monalisa’s marriage had already been arranged elsewhere and guests had arrived at her home. According to him, Monalisa told him to marry her or something unfortunate might happen to her. She feared her family could marry her to someone else. Farman said he eventually agreed because someone’s life is more important than anything else. Monalisa admitted that she had told Farman she would take her own life if he refused to marry her. Farman said there is nothing like Love Jihad Farman rejected claims of “love jihad”. He said all religions are equal and both will continue to follow their own faiths. Monalisa will remain in her religion while he will follow his. He added that he respects all religions and visits both temples and mosques. Farman said both of them are artists and believe that humanity comes first. He also praised Kerala for having no discrimination based on caste and said people there treat everyone equally. Now read the full news about Monalisa’s wedding Before the wedding, the couple went to Thampanoor Police Station in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. Monalisa requested police protection and claimed her father was trying to take her back home forcibly. According to police, she told them she is an adult and wants to live with and marry Farman by her own choice. Director Sanoj Mishra, however, described the marriage as “love jihad”. Met during film shooting Monalisa had come to Kerala for the shooting of her debut film “The Diary of Manipur.” During the shoot she met Farman Khan. The two said their conversation began while working together on the film and gradually turned into a relationship. Farman said Monalisa had proposed to him first. Initially he refused, but later both of them developed deep feelings for each other. According to Monalisa, their relationship is about six months old. She said her family wanted to marry her off to someone else in the village, which she did not accept. Director alleges conspiracy Film director Sanoj Mishra, who had given Monalisa her first break in films, expressed anger over the marriage in a Facebook post. He wrote that he had taken a ₹10-crore loan to make a film and give Monalisa an opportunity, but she ran away with a Muslim man and ruined everything. He called the incident “love jihad” and alleged that there was a conspiracy behind it. Monalisa’s family angry at media On Wednesday night around 9:30 pm, when local media reached Monalisa’s home in Maheshwar to speak with her family, the relatives became angry. They behaved aggressively with journalists and refused to allow video recording or photography. Some media personnel were even asked to delete videos they had already recorded. How Monalisa got her identity She had gone to Mahakumbh to sell Rudraksha necklaces Monalisa is originally from Maheshwar. She had gone to Prayagraj Mahakumbh with her family to sell Rudraksha bead necklaces. During the event, a content creator posted a video of her on social media. Because of her smile and expressive eyes, the video quickly went viral. She became so popular that T-shirts featuring her photos began to sell. Later, Monalisa wrote on social media that the sudden attention and constant crowding by people made it difficult for her to work, and she eventually left the Mahakumbh and returned home. Soon after, director Sanoj Mishra offered her a film role, which brought her into the spotlight overnight. Monalisa’s Old Pictures