'Entirely baseless': Palash Muchhal responds to allegations by Smriti Mandhana's friend

NEW DELHI: Singer-composer Palash Muchhal has publicly rejected the allegations levelled against him by actor-producer Vidnyan Mane, who has described himself as a childhood friend of Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana. Mane has accused Muchhal of infidelity and financial wrongdoing, claiming he was duped of more than Rs 40 lakh in connection with an unreleased film project.


Responding to the claims, Muchhal issued a statement on social media, strongly denying the 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.



Mane has since filed a formal complaint against Muchhal in Sangli, Maharashtra.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, the 34-year-old made sensational claims, alleging that Mandhana and Muchhal’s relationship collapsed following an incident during wedding celebrations 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 that he was introduced to Muchhal by the Mandhana family.

Mane also accused the Muchhal family of exerting financial pressure on him over a stalled film project, alleging that he was forced to invest additional money to safeguard his earlier contribution. “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 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 to be in possession of evidence supporting 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 reiterated his denial through an Instagram story, maintaining that the allegations were false and legally motivated.

Mandhana and Muchhal were originally scheduled to get married on November 23, 2025. The wedding was initially postponed due to health-related issues in both families before being officially cancelled in December 2025.

Following widespread speculation surrounding the split, both issued separate statements confirming the decision. Smriti said she wanted to “clarify that the wedding is called off” and requested privacy, while Muchhal stated, “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.”



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