Relatives object to Monalisa’s interfaith marriage:Aunt says, ‘She is celebrating while family mourns at home’

‘Give me back my daughter, Babu I don’t want anything else.’ With these words, Monalisa Bhonsle’s mother, Lata Bhonsle, breaks down repeatedly, beating her chest in grief. Monalisa, who came into the spotlight during the 2025 Kumbh in Prayagraj, is once again making headlines after reportedly marrying her boyfriend Farman in Kerala. Her family, however, claims they had no prior knowledge of the marriage and have not been able to contact her for several days. On Sunday, filmmaker Sanoj Mishra, director of The Diary of Manipur, visited Monalisa’s house in Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district. He met the family members and tried to console them. During the visit, he accused Farman and his associates of’love jihad. A team from Dainik Bhaskar visited the Banjara settlement in Maheshwar, where Monalisa’s family lives and spoke with her mother Lata Bhonsle, her cousin Rooprekha and her aunt Rekha Bhonsle. Mother pleads for daughter’s return Near the helipad by Maheshwar Jail lies a Banjara camp with no permanent houses. Most dwellings are temporary huts made of plastic sheets and tarpaulins. The first hut in the settlement belongs to Monalisa’s family. Outside it sat a distraught woman wearing a polka-dot top and kurti, crying uncontrollably and beating her chest. When asked what had happened, she pleaded, ‘Sir, I beg you, please bring my daughter back.’ The woman was Monalisa’s mother, Lata Bhonsle. Her simple lifestyle and distinctive Banjara dialect reflected the family’s modest background. ‘My eyes have almost dried from crying,’ she said. ‘If Monalisa is gone, who will take care of my other childrenJessica, Ajay and Ashish?’ Lata repeatedly said she felt helpless and devastated.’I will die… I will drink poison,’ she cried. Family learnt about the marriage through a video According to Lata, the family came to know about the marriage only after seeing a video circulating on mobile phones. “She had two mobile phones. Earlier I used to talk to her regularly, but for the last four or five days there has been no contact,’ she said.’If I could just speak to her once, I would feel relieved.’ Lata said the family had believed Monalisa had travelled to Kerala for acting work.’We are not educated, but we trusted our daughter. She went there with her father. We never imagined something like this would happen.’ Mother denies claim about forced marriage at home Responding to claims that Monalisa had alleged the family wanted her to marry her aunt’s son, Lata strongly denied it. ‘She is lying. We are Hindus, such things do not happen in our culture,’ she said.’She is not speaking on her own. The man she married is telling her what to say.’ Lata also claimed that Monalisa was only 16 years old and had not yet reached marriageable age.’She does not even know how to cook. I don’t know how her age was increased in the Aadhaar card.’ She further alleged that people around Monalisa had influenced or manipulated her.’They must have fed her something, she is not in her senses.’ During the conversation, Lata again fainted briefly while repeating her plea: ‘Babu, please bring my daughter back.’ No food cooked at home for five days Inside the hut, Monalisa’s cousin Rooprekha was seen packing belongings. She said Monalisa had lived in the same shack since childhood. ‘All these things, the wardrobe, cooler, bed and boxes, belong to her,’ Rooprekha said.’She even made a small temple on the table. She used to pray every morning and evening.’ Rooprekha added that the family had not been able to contact Monalisa for several days. ‘Her phone has been switched off. We grew up together. Since the news of the marriage came, no food has been cooked at home for five days,’ she said. ‘The whole camp is in mourning’ Monalisa’s aunt Rekha Panwar, sitting outside in the scorching sun, expressed anger and sorrow. ‘She is happy there, and here we are grieving,’ she said.’Because of her actions, the whole camp feels like a crematorium.’ Rekha claimed that Monalisa had big ambitions.’She used to say she would build a school and educate the children of our settlement. She wanted to construct permanent houses for everyone.’ According to her, Monalisa had left saying she was going for training to become an artist. ‘She used to say she would become famous and make our community proud,’ Rekha said.’But instead, she married that boy within two hours in court.’ The family continues to insist they are opposed to the marriage and are hoping Monalisa will return home.