Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): A newly married couple-- which was trolled and called ‘mismatch’ by the netizens, expressed disappointment over skin-tone bias still existing in India.
Notably, a newly married couple from Jabalpur has become a national talk after their wedding video went viral on social media.
What was meant to be a beautiful memory for Rishabh Rajput and Sonali Chouksey turned into a flood of memes, trolling and hurtful comments targeting their physical appearance.
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‘Complexion over 11-years of love?’
Rishabh and Sonali have been together for 11 years. Speaking to the media, they said they never expected this reaction. Their wedding took place on November 23, 2025. A 30-second video recorded by Rishabh’s sister was uploaded two days later.
Within 48 hours, it spread across the country. It started appearing on every social media platform - even in neighbourhood WhatsApp groups.
Instead of celebrating their moment, many users mocked the couple’s ‘unmatched’ skin tones. Some questioned why Sonali, who is fair, married Rishabh, who has a darker complexion.
Others spread false rumours that Rishabh must be wealthy or have political connections. They even claimed he owned petrol pumps or had a high-paying government job.
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‘It hurt our families!’
Reacting to the same, Rishabh and Sonali said the trolling hurt them and their families deeply. “For others it was only a video, but for us it was our personal life,” Sonali said. She added that India’s ideology of ‘fair equals beautiful’ is outdated and harmful.
She chose Rishabh not for money or status, but for his nature, respect and loyalty - qualities that kept their relationship strong since they first met in college in 2014.
The couple explained that back then, neither of them had jobs, money, nor any special background. They fell in love as ordinary students with uncertain futures.
“People judge without knowing our journey,” Sonali said. “A healthy relationship is judged by how capable the person is to walk beside the other, not colour or money.”
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‘People don’t have what we have!’
Rishabh added, “We live in a country where every region has a different climate and different skin tones. Why can't people accept natural diversity?”
Despite the negativity, the couple remains strong. “People don’t have what we have,” Rishabh said. “Sonali has me, and I have her.”
Though the trolling didn’t affect their own bond, it hurt their parents. That’s when the couple decided to speak up and clear the false claims circulating online.
