Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Fresh controversy has surfaced around the cancellation of Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana’s wedding with singer-composer Palaash Muchhal, following serious allegations made by actor-producer Vidnyan Mane. Mane has accused Muchhal of infidelity and financial misconduct, claiming he was cheated of more than Rs 40 lakh in connection with an unreleased film project. A formal complaint has been filed in Sangli, Maharashtra.Smriti and Muchhal were initially scheduled to tie the knot on November 23, 2025. The wedding was first postponed citing health emergencies in both families before being officially called off in December 2025.In an interview with Hindustan Times, the 34-year-old alleged that the relationship between Mandhana and Muchhal broke down after a shocking incident during wedding festivities in November 2025. “I was at the wedding celebrations (November, 23, 2025) when he was caught red-handed with another woman in bed. Bhayanak scene tha, he was beaten up by the Indian female cricketers. The entire family is chindi chor. I thought he’d get married and settle in Sangli, but it has completely backfired on me.” Mane further claimed he is a childhood friend of Smriti Mandhana and was introduced to Muchhal through her family.Mane also levelled allegations of financial coercion against the Muchhal family, stating that he was pressured to invest additional money into a stalled film project. “When I met his mother (Amita Muchhal) last month, she said the budget to release the movie has now increased to ?1.5 crore. They asked me to invest another Rs 10 lakh or I wouldn’t get any money back. They started blackmailing me and threatened to throw me out of the film, thus I was forced to file a complaint,” he said.According to Mane, communication with the family stopped entirely after the wedding was cancelled. “After the wedding was called off, the family blocked me from everywhere. I found out that other artistes from the movie had not received payment they were due to receive either. I had heard of directors fleecing producers in the film industry but this is complete theft,” he added.Mane also asserted that he has evidence to back his claims. “I have saved all proofs including my chats and phone conversations that I’m willing to share with the police and the media,” he said.Muchhal later issued a response through an Instagram story, firmly denying all accusations. “In light of the allegations made by Sangli-based Vidnyan Mane on social media, I wish to state that these claims against me are entirely baseless and factually incorrect. They have been made with malicious intent to tarnish my reputation, and they will not go unchallenged. My lawyer, Shreyansh Mithare, is exploring all legal avenues, and this matter will be dealt with strictly through the appropriate legal channels,” Muchhal wrote.Amid widespread speculation over the reasons behind the split, both parties later issued separate statements confirming the cancellation. Smriti stated that she needed to “clarify that the wedding is called off” and requested privacy, while Muchhal said, “I have decided to move on in my life and step back from my personal relationship. Its been very difficult for me to see people react so easily on baseless rumours about something which has been most sacred to me. Its the most difficult phase of my life and I will deal with it gracefully holding on to my beliefs.”
