'Palaash Muchhal was caught red-handed with another woman in bed,' claims Smriti Mandhana’s childhood friend who has alleged Rs 40 lakh fraud; lawyer responds

Actor-producer Vidnyan Mane has made explosive allegations against singer-composer Palaash Muchhal, claiming that he cheated Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana and also duped him of over Rs 40 lakh in connection with an unreleased film. Mane has filed a formal complaint in Sangli, Maharashtra.Mane claims he is Smriti Mandhana’s childhood friend and was introduced to Palaash through the Mandhana family. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Mane, 34, alleged that Palaash was caught with another woman 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 said.Mane further alleged that he invested over Rs 40 lakh in an unreleased film involving Palaash and his family, but was later pressured to invest more money.“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 claimed.According to Mane, communication with the Muchhal family stopped completely 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 said.He also alleged that he has been receiving threats and that the film has seen no progress despite being ready for release.On his next steps, Mane said he intends to expose what he calls the truth behind the Muchhal family.“I have saved all proofs including my chats and phone conversations that I’m willing to share with the police and the media,” he stated.Palaash Muchhal responded to the allegations through an Instagram story, denying all claims made against him.“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,” the statement read. Palaash Muchhal’s lawyer, Shreyansh Mithare, also responded, questioning the credibility and timing of the allegations.“He (Vidnyan) claims he has paid us money, but there is no evidence whether he paid by cheque or bank transfer. All the allegations about Palaash being caught with another woman — what is the evidence? We don’t know this guy; we met him through Smriti’s father (Shrinivas). We have no direct connection with him. Why did he keep quiet so long? It’s only after the marriage broke that he (Vidnyan) has turned up. Palaash is exploring his legal options,” Mithare said. Palaash Muchhal and Smriti Mandhana’s wedding, originally scheduled for November 23, 2025, was first postponed due to health emergencies in both families and later permanently called off in December 2025.Amid speculation that Smriti had been cheated on, both parties released statements confirming that the wedding would not take place. Smriti, in her statement, clarified that the wedding had been cancelled and requested privacy during the difficult period.See More: Palash Muchhal makes first appearance after cheating allegations from Marathi actor-producer Vidnyan Mane, spotted outside court