A social media sensation who became a viral sensation a year back during the Mahakumbh 2025 is back in the news for all the wrong reasons over the controversy surrounding her recent marriage to Farman Khan.

The 18-year-old social media sensation, who shot to fame after her videos from the Kumbh Mela went viral, recently got married to Farman Khan in Kerala. The marriage has sparked a lot of debate and discussion on social media and among different political parties. The charges against her vary from allegations that she is underage to accusations of “love jihad.”

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However, Monalisa has denied all these charges and said that the charges against her being underage are “fake and incorrect.”

Why Monalisa’s marriage has sparked controversy

Monalisa, a resident of Maheshwar in Khargone district, married Farman Khan in a ceremony held at the Nainar Temple in the Poovar area of Kerala.

The wedding reportedly took place in the presence of several political leaders from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), including Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty, CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan and Rajya Sabha MP A A Rahim.

Soon after the marriage became public, sections of social media questioned the circumstances surrounding the wedding, raising claims about Monalisa’s age and suggesting religious motives behind the relationship.

Responding to these allegations during a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Monalisa said she is legally an adult and free to marry a partner of her choice.

Family raises concerns over marriage

Members of Monalisa’s family in Madhya Pradesh have said the marriage took place against their wishes.

Her father, Jaysingh Bhonsle, alleged that individuals had approached the family earlier this month promising acting opportunities for his daughter.

"Some persons came and told us they would help my daughter get work in films and train her in acting. I went with her to Kerala. But there she married one of them, Farman Khan,” he said, according to Press Trust of India.

Bhonsle said he had opposed the marriage and later contacted the police. According to him, officials informed the family that Monalisa is 18 years old and therefore legally entitled to make her own decision.

Her uncle, Vijay Singh Bhonsle, also claimed she had been lured to Kerala on the promise of film opportunities which is an allegation that Monalisa’s husband has denied.

Couple rejects ‘love jihad’ allegations

The couple, in their attempt to address this controversy, chose to say that their marriage should not be judged in terms of religion. In their speech at the press conference, they announced that their relationship was “not a case of love jihad” and that religion should not be used to judge their relationship. Monalisa announced that she chose to marry Khan after her family was pressuring her into marrying another man through an arranged marriage.

According to Mahendra Lodhi of Ujjain, who was helping Monalisa with her acting training and studies, Monalisa had told him that she had already chosen a partner and that she wanted to marry that partner.

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From ‘Mahakumbh’ sensation to marriage controversy

Monalisa Bhonsle was an internet sensation during the ‘Mahakumbh’ that happened in 2025. The videos of her went extremely popular on the internet, after which she chose to explore opportunities in movies and acting training.

The marriage of Monalisa has once again brought her into the public eye, this time through a controversy involving family opposition, media speculation, and political commentary.