Who is Mary D’Costa, the woman linked to the controversy around Smriti Mandhana’s postponed wedding?

Indian women’s cricket vice-captain Smriti Mandhana’s wedding festivities went off course in Sangli, Maharashtra on November 23 after her father Shrinivas Mandhana suddenly fell critically ill. He was immediately taken to hospital, causing the family to stop the celebrations. In a separate incident shortly after, Mandhana’s fiancé Palash Muchhal was also hospitalized for viral symptoms and acidity, but his condition was reported to be stable.

Meanwhile, Mandhana has removed all wedding-related posts from her Instagram account, including the engagement video. Several teammates and close friends like Jemimah Rodrigues, Shreyanka Patil and Radha Yadav also deleted or unfollowed the respective content. This triggered a wave of speculation online, and attention quickly turned to choreographer Mary D’Costa after screenshots of messages allegedly involving Palash began circulating.

Who is Mary D’Costa?

Public information about Mary D’Costa is limited. Her name surfaced after screenshots of her alleged “flirty chats” with Palash Muchhal went viral and became a central point in the rumor mill.
D’Costa was believed to be the choreographer who oversaw the dances at the wedding reception, Filmibeat reports. His involvement gained attention after chats allegedly between him and Palash surfaced online. In these alleged messages, Palash stated that his relationship with Smriti was “almost dead” and difficult due to the long distance, while Mary was seen asking him questions about the upcoming wedding.

ET has not independently verified these claims.

However, the messages sparked intense speculation on social media.

The screenshots that initially triggered the controversy originated from a Reddit post that was later deleted. Both families claimed that the only reason for postponing the ceremony was the health issues faced by Smriti’s father and Palash. Palash’s sister, singer Palak Muchhal, asked for the families’ privacy during this difficult time. Meanwhile, Palash’s mother Amita Muchhal revealed the depth of her son’s bond with Mandhana’s father. “Palash is extremely devoted to Smriti’s father, even more than Smriti herself. When Palash fell ill, he immediately insisted that the wedding be postponed until he recovers,” he explained. Amita also explained that Palash was briefly hospitalized where he had an IV drip, EKG and other tests after the stress took a toll on his health. Neither Smriti Mandhana nor Palash Muchhal has made any public statement regarding the rumors regarding Mary D’Costa.