Actress Mouni Roy briefly shared a heartfelt social media post dedicated to close friend Disha Patani, referring to her as her “little sister,” before unexpectedly deleting it. The reason for the removal of the post remains unclear. 

The now-deleted photograph showed the two posing together in coordinated yet contrasting looks, Roy dressed in a black cut-out mini outfit paired with sneakers, and Patani opting for a casual athleisure ensemble featuring a white sports bra, oversized denim trousers and a white cap.

In the caption, Roy had written: “Missing my lil sister! Come back soon x @dishapatani.”

Longstanding friendship in the spotlight

Roy and Patani have long been known for their close bond, frequently holidaying together at international destinations and sharing glimpses of their trips online. Their glamorous travel pictures often garner significant attention from fans.

The renewed chatter around their friendship comes at a time when Patani has been the target of online trolling amid reports of Roy’s separation from her husband Suraj Nambiar. Some social media users had baselessly linked Patani to the couple’s private matters, prompting the actress to disable comments on her posts after receiving waves of hate messages.

Suraj Nambiar issues strong denial of rumours

On 18 May, Nambiar publicly addressed speculation surrounding his separation from Roy, strongly refuting circulating allegations. In a detailed statement shared on his social media account, he said:

“Recent baseless reports surrounding our separation have been made in bad taste and are absolutely malicious. Let me set the record straight once and for all. There is no alimony. There are no disputes. There is no third party involved.”

He continued: “Mouni and I chose to part ways together, with mutual respect and with full consideration for each other's wellbeing. That is the truth. Everything else being reported is fiction, and in some cases, a deliberate attempt to vilify two people who have done nothing but ask to be left alone.”

Nambiar further added: “I want to state this clearly and finally: there is no truth to any of the claims being made about either of us, or about any third party. Dragging other people into this is not cool. Specially innocent friends who have nothing to do with this. Mouni and I have both conducted ourselves with dignity through this period and we expect that same dignity to be extended to us by those reporting on it.”

Calling out media speculation, he wrote: “Media houses have chosen to fabricate narratives that do not exist. These reports have been published without a shred of verification, which is highly unfair. I am calling this out clearly and directly, because staying silent in the face of deliberate misinformation is not something I am willing to do.”

He concluded by urging restraint: “Our joint statement said everything that needed to be said. I request everyone to honour it and to allow both of us the space to move forward in peace. Thank you.”

(With IANS inputs)