Sonali Bendre has recently been in the spotlight due to alleged rumors of a romantic connection with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray from two decades ago. The speculation about Thackeray having a crush on the actor intensified after an old video featuring the two went viral on social media. In a recent interview with ANI, Sonali addressed these rumors, expressing her frustration over the unnecessary gossip and emphasizing the involvement of families in such matters.
When asked about the buzz regarding Thackeray’s alleged crush on her years ago, Sonali promptly responded, “Did he? I doubt it, but ya.” She went on to dismiss the claims surrounding the viral video, clarifying, “Honestly, when I spoke and I called in the video, I was talking to my sister, who was right there. Not even behind him, but I was telling my sister to come. That’s the thing about this. It’s just not in a very good taste when people talk about it.”
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More on viral video from an event with Raj Thackeray, battle with cancer, and her new book#SmitaPrakash… pic.twitter.com/e4CjHdOnlf
— ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2025
Criticizing the online speculation and shedding light on the familial ties, she explained, “First of all, there are families and people involved. Secondly, something that till date I’ve never even bothered telling this, but other than the fact my brother-in-law, who is a cricketer, hence he used to play cricket with Raj’s cousin. Moreover, my sister’s mother-in-law was the head of department in literature at the college I am from. She knows Raj because of his father, they all know each other somehow.”
Sonali further elaborated, “For me, the connection was that Sharmila, Raj’s wife, her mother, and my Maasi were best friends. Her mother has held me for 10 days because you know how, oh, her, my mother’s younger sister, Maasi. So when she delivered Raj, they all came laughing. Oh, her elder sister’s baby. Let’s go and see the baby. They’ve come to the hospital and seen me. So literally, that’s the kind of connection. I have always travelled around, so it’s not like I know them beyond a point, because I came into Maharashtra only once in two years during summer holidays or something like that.”
On the professional front, Sonali Bendre was last seen in the second season of her ZEE5 series The Broken News. She is set to star in an upcoming series, reportedly based on the notorious Ranga and Billa, alongside Ali Fazal.
See Also: ‘The Bombay Journey’: Sonali Bendre Talks About Losing Hair During Cancer Treatment ‘It’s Not About The Looks’
