Television actors Mahhi Vij and Jay Bhanushali’s recent announcement about ending their marriage after 15 years triggered a wave of online speculation, with social media users linking Mahhi to Nadeem Nadz, CEO of Salman Khan Films. The chatter picked up after Mahhi shared a birthday post for him, prompting rumours of a romantic connection. Breaking her silence, Mahhi has strongly refuted the claims, asserting that both she and Jay share a long-standing friendship with Nadeem and nothing more.
Mahhi Vij slams trolls over link-up rumours with Nadim Nadz
On Sunday, Mahhi addressed the controversy head-on through a video posted on Instagram, calling out the assumptions and criticism being levelled against her. Expressing her anger and disappointment, she said, “So, everyone told me not to address this, avoid it. People who know about these things are feeling ridiculous about what the media is doing. Just because we have taken the divorce with a lot of respect for each other, I don’t think you guys are able to digest it. You guys want controversy, you guys want filth,” she said.
She went on to explain her bond with Nadeem, stressing that it has always been public knowledge. “How did this happen? So, Nadeem, who is my best friend and will always be my best friend… I have always posted about him, and Tara has been calling him Abba for the past six years. It was a joint decision between Jay and me that she would call him Abba. You have made the word Abba so disgusting. A person is going through something… You guys are not afraid of karma. You can stoop to any level of filth, shame on you, thoo (spit) on you people. I literally thoo on you for writing such sh**ty stuff about me and Nadeem, who is a godfather not just in my life, but in the lives of so many people who respect him so much.”
Mahhi further lashed out at the online abuse, adding, “And you can go to such a bad level about someone? Don’t you say ‘I love you’ to your best friends, your brother, or your sister? The comments I am reading, half of them are from fake followers. So, I don’t know who is doing all this and trying to spoil this thing. I will not let you do that. I will not fuing let you do that. You people are sh. Shame on you!” She also warned that those spreading negativity would face consequences, stating, “Hell is not far for you guys.” Mahhi reiterated that she, Jay and Nadeem are part of the same close-knit friend circle.
Mahhi also reshared several messages of support on her Instagram stories. After reposting actor Ankita Lokhande’s note, in which she criticised trolls and clarified Mahhi and Nadeem’s equation, Mahhi also shared a message from politician Rahool N Kanal. His note read, “Extremely sorry, Jay, Mahhi and our angel Tara, that such worries exist on our social media platforms. But this just shows how people around us have become… Please keep smiling.” Rahool also emphasised that Nadeem has always been a godfather figure to Tara. Jay Bhanushali, meanwhile, echoed Ankita’s sentiments by reposting her story and writing, “Thank You Ankita and I agree with every word you have said.”
Arpita Khan Sharma reacts
Amid the backlash, Salman Khan’s sister Arpita Khan Sharma also weighed in on the controversy. She reshared an Instagram story from a Bollywood gossip page that hinted at the alleged link-up and wrote, “Nadeem, if someone like you can get called out, then I wonder the world we are living in.”
Mahhi Vij and Jay Bhanushali, who married in 2011, chose to foster two children, Khushi and Rajveer, in 2017. They later welcomed their biological daughter, Tara, in 2019. While reports suggested that the couple separated earlier this year, they only addressed their split publicly in recent weeks.
