Monalisa Bhosle, who went viral during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela last year, on Tuesday alleged that a film director known to her had misbehaved with minor girls under the pretext of offering film opportunities.

Addressing a press conference in Kochi on Tuesday, Bhosle also appealed to the Centre and the governments of Kerala and Madhya Pradesh for protection, claiming that she and her husband have been receiving death threats.

Accompanied by her husband, Farman Khan, Bhosle told reporters that posters featuring her were being burnt and that the couple was facing threats from unidentified individuals.

She further alleged that the director had been speaking ill of her and had refused to cast her in his films.

“Who wants to be part of his films? He is such a bad and disgusting person. He misbehaves with minor girls in the name of films. I am even ashamed to utter his name,” she said.

Bhosle also urged the Central and Uttar Pradesh governments not to make “wrong allegations” against her husband in connection with their marriage.

“We got married according to Hindu rites at a temple. Everyone in the country knows that. The director wishes that there should be extremism, and people should fight each other. He is calling our marriage a love-jihad. I respect all religions,” she said.

Speaking at the Kochi press meet, Bhosle said that the alleged incident occurred when she was still a minor. She added that although she informed her family about the incident at the time, her concerns were dismissed as it was her first film.

She said she plans to file a police complaint against the director, Sanoj Mishra.

The development comes two weeks after Bhosle lodged a complaint at Thampanoor police station in Thiruvananthapuram on March 11, alleging that her family had been pressuring her to marry another person.

According to reports, she refused to accompany her father, Vijay Singh Bhosle, to the airport, following which police informed him that she is 18 and legally entitled to choose her partner.

Later that day, Bhosle married Farman Khan in Kerala. The ceremony was held at the Arumanoor Nainar Temple in Thiruvananthapuram and was attended by state minister V. Sivankutty and CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan.