Monalisa Bhonsle Marries in Kerala; Father Seeks MP CM’s Help to Bring Her Home

PTI, March 13, 2026, Khargone: The father of Monalisa Bhonsle, the young woman who gained fame during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela last year, on Friday sought the intervention of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to bring her back safely after she married a Muslim man in Kerala.

Monalisa Bhonsle (18), from Maheshwar town and part of the nomadic Pardhi community, married Farman Khan on Wednesday at Nainar Temple at Arumanoor in Poovar in the presence of some Kerala ministers.

Speaking to reporters after returning from Kerala, her father Jayasingh Bhonsle alleged that Monalisa had become a victim of “love jihad,” a term used by right-wing groups to claim a conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into marriage and conversion to Islam.

“My daughter has earned name across the country. I request Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to ensure Monalisa is brought back to MP safely. She has been trapped deceitfully by a Muslim youth, Farman Khan. It is a case of love jihad,” Jayasingh said.

He added that he knew his daughter was acting in films and wanted to make a name for herself in this profession. “I was told that my daughter was acting in two films. She herself had said some people were teaching her acting and dance. They said they would train her so she could work in films in the future. I did not know something like this would happen,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, Hindu Jagran Manch functionaries Sameer Mahule and Bhupendra Chauhan said efforts would be made to persuade Monalisa to return home.

On Thursday, speaking at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Monalisa said her wedding to a Muslim man was her personal choice and conducted according to Hindu customs. She rejected allegations of “love jihad.” The eldest of four children, she said her parents wanted her to marry her paternal aunt’s son, but she opposed the proposal, which upset her father.