Priyamani says her interfaith marriage with Mustafa Raj was labelled as ‘love jihad’: ‘They said our kids will join ISIS’

Even after nearly seven years of marriage, Priyamani recently revealed that she and her husband Mustafa Raj continue to receive hate due to their differing religious backgrounds.

By: Entertainment Desk

Kochi | February 26, 2025 08:22 PM IST

2 min read

Even after nearly seven years of marriage, Priyamani recently revealed that she and her husband Mustufa Raj continue to receive hate due to their differing religious backgrounds.

Priyamani with her husband Mustufa Raj. (Credit: Instagram/@pillumani)

Unlike typical Indian celebrity weddings, which are known for their extravagance and star-studded guest lists, Priyamani tied the knot with her boyfriend, event manager-turned-movie director Mustafa Raj, in a quiet and intimate ceremony in 2017. However, since their wedding, the couple has frequently faced hate, particularly on social media, due to their differing religious backgrounds. In fact, even after nearly seven years of marriage, Priyamani recently revealed, they continue to receive hateful comments.

“When I announced my engagement, I just wanted to share this happy moment with people whom I honestly believed genuinely cared for me. However, I don’t know for what rhyme or reason, unnecessary hate started pouring in and the love jihad accusations followed. They even went to the extent of saying that, when we have kids tomorrow, they would join ISIS,” she recalled during a chat with Filmfare.

Also Read | Shah Rukh Khan to move out of Mannat with family before May, rents four-floor apartment for Rs 24 lakh monthly rent: report

Mentioning that these vile comments did take a toll on her mental and emotional well-being, Priyamani added, “I understand that since I belong to the media and the film industry, you can say what you want. But why do you want to attack somebody who is not at all (a part of these things)? You don’t even know who that person is. It took a toll on me for 2-3 days because I kept getting a lot of messages. Even now, if I post something with him, nine out of ten comments will be about our religion or caste.”

Despite the negativity, Priyamani, who was most recently seen in the Malayalam crime thriller Officer On Duty, has learned to ignore the venomous chatter over the years. “I figured out that see there is no point in adding fuel to the fire. I don’t want to give importance to that person or let them have their one-minute fame. This is somebody who is sitting behind a computer or a phone, and all they do is post something in the hope that we would reply,” she added.

From the homepage