India, Oct. 30 -- Actor-producer Vidnyan Mane, a childhood friend of India women's cricket team captain Smriti Mandhana, says the Bombay High Court has dismissed a defamation case filed against him by music composer Palash Muchhal, Mandhana's former fiance. "This verdict conveys an important message: people should not file baseless and false cases in court merely to generate publicity," Mane tells us, adding that he "now plans to initiate criminal proceedings against Muchhal".

The legal dispute surfaced in January this year, weeks after Muchhal and Mandhana called off their wedding in December 2025. Mane had accused the composer of cheating him out of Rs.40 lakh invested in his film Nazaria. As per his complaint, the two met in Sangli in...