Months after her interfaith marriage triggered a legal and political controversy, Monalisa Bhosle says she is too afraid to return to Madhya Pradesh.
In an exclusive interview with TNM, days after the Kerala High Court ordered police protection for her, Monalisa alleged that she and her husband, Farman Khan, continue to receive death threats. "We keep getting threats that we'll be killed, chopped up, or shot if we return to Madhya Pradesh," she said. "I don't want to go back. They can only take my dead body there."
Monalisa also spoke about the ongoing dispute over her age, insisting that she was born at home and that the hospital records relied upon by investigators belong to her younger brother. She questioned why her birth certificate was cancelled shortly after her wedding without informing her, and said she had asked investigators to verify her brother's records as well.
She also alleged that she no longer has access to the money she earned before the controversy. "I have nothing except the clothes I'm wearing," she said, adding that she and Farman are now surviving with the help of their advocate and a few well-wishers.
Asked what she wanted now, her answer was unequivocal. "I want to stay in Kerala," she said. "I haven't seen discrimination here between Hindus and Muslims. For me, Kerala feels like heaven."
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