‘Palash Muchhal beaten by female cricketers’: Smriti Mandhana’s childhood friend says, ‘bhayanak scene tha’ | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Fresh controversy has erupted over the cancellation of Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana’s wedding to singer-composer Palaash Muchhal, following serious allegations from 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.Mandhana and Muchhal had originally planned to marry on November 23, 2025. The wedding was first postponed due to health emergencies in both families before being officially called off in December 2025.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, the 34-year-old Mane alleged that the relationship between Mandhana and Muchhal collapsed following a shocking incident during the wedding festivities.“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 added that he is a childhood friend of Smriti Mandhana and was introduced to Muchhal through her family.Mane also raised allegations of financial coercion against the Muchhal family, saying 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 Rs 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, all communication with the family ceased after the wedding was called off.“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 claimed he has evidence to support his allegations. “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 responded via an Instagram story, strongly 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.”
