Monalisa Bhosle, the woman from Indore who became an internet sensation during the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, and her partner Farman Khan on Thursday addressed the media to dismiss allegations of “love jihad” and religious conversion linked to their interfaith marriage. The couple spoke a day after tying the knot in Thiruvananthapuram.
The newly married pair said the rumours were baseless and clarified that neither of them had converted after the wedding.
Speaking to reporters following the ceremony, they emphasised that their relationship is rooted in mutual respect and that religion had never been a condition for their marriage.
Monalisa said the wedding was conducted according to Hindu customs and acknowledged that the decision largely came from 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 also revealed that she had earlier resisted her family’s attempts to arrange a marriage for her.
“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.
Responding to speculation about religious conversion, Farman firmly 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.
He further clarified that both of them continue to follow their respective religions.
“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, saying 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 marrying according to Hindu rituals was simply a way of respecting Monalisa’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.”
Marriage Amid Family Opposition
The couple eventually married at the Nainar Temple after approaching the Thampanoor Police Station seeking assistance due to resistance from Monalisa’s family.
Police officials said Monalisa clearly stated that she wished to marry Farman and stay with him, noting that both were adults capable of making their own decisions.
Monalisa had first gained nationwide attention after a video of her selling rudraksha garlands during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela went viral online.
She had travelled to Kerala for a film shoot when the disagreement with her family surfaced. Despite the tension, the couple went ahead with their wedding, turning their six-month relationship into marriage while reiterating that their union is based on personal choice rather than any change in religion.
