After being acquitted in the 2017 assault case, Dileep made explosive accusations against his ex-wife, Manju Warrier. Here's all about their relationship, marked by infidelity and conspiracy theory.
Malayalam actor, Dileep has recently been given a clean chit in the 2017 r*pe case of Malayalam actress, Bhavana Menon. He was acquitted of the charges on December 8, 2025, after eight years of legal battle. After the court verdict was announced, Dileep made his first comment regarding the issue, making scathing accusations against his former wife, Manju Warrier. He publicly accused her of being the one who initiated a conspiracy narrative against him in the harassment case. Manju was a key witness in the trial, and her public statement in 2017 served as a turning point in the case. Here's everything you need to know about her.
Manju Warrier is a prominent Indian actress and producer who primarily works in Malayalam cinema. She is known for portraying strong, independent women and has earned praises and accolades for her roles, including a National Film Award. Manju made her acting debut in 1995 with the film Sakshyam, but her breakthrough came a year later in 1996 with Sallapam, co-starring her ex-husband, Dileep, when she was just 17. During her initial three-year run, she starred in around 20 films, many of which were commercial hits, and spent a happy dating era with Dileep. However, after that, she took a 15-year hiatus from acting, following her marriage to Dileep in 1998.
Following Manju Warrier and Dileep's divorce in 2015, she made a widely acclaimed comeback with the film, How Old Are You? in 2014, which was both a critical and commercial success. The actress also worked in other-language films, including a successful Tamil debut with Asuran in 2019 and a role in Thunivu (2023). Manju Warrier was also set to debut in Bollywood with Amriki Pandit opposite R. Madhavan, but the film has been shelved indefinitely due to COVID-19-related delays. Beyond acting, Manju is also a trained classical Kuchipudi dancer, a social activist, and a motivational speaker. She is currently under the spotlight due to her ex-husband's explosive accusations against her.
On December 8, 2025, actor, Dileep, was acquitted in the r*pe case of Malayalam actress, Bhavana Menon, after eight years of legal battle. Following the clearance of his name from the case, Dileep alleged that his ex-wife, Manju Warrier, created a "criminal conspiracy" to frame him for the victim's assault and called for an investigation. Notably, Manju Warrier made such comments about Dileep at a solidarity gathering for the survivor two days after the 2017 incident. Dileep claimed that Manju then handpicked a senior female police officer and a team of criminal-minded officers to orchestrate false charges against him. He stated:
"It was Manju Warrier who first suggested that there was a criminal conspiracy in the case. That was when the conspiracy against me began."
Dileep further alleged that Manju collaborated with the prime accused, Pulsar Suni, and other inmates to devise a misleading story involving him. He even claimed that certain journalists worked together with his ex-wife to spread the false narrative across media platforms. Dileep maintained that the entire purpose of this "false story" was to frame him as an accused, thereby destroying his public image, career, and life. Dileep escalated the matter, claiming that it was the victim who informed Manju of his extramarital affair with actress, Kavya Madhavan. Dileep's exact words regarding his allegations against the police officials and media were:
"A concocted lie was framed against me by a then-senior Police official and a team selected by her with the help of the prime accused. They also used the help of a section of the media and mediapersons to spread this false narrative through social media...My image in society and my life itself was ruined."
Manju Warrier stated in her court testimony that Dileep's extramarital relationship with Kavya Madhavan caused friction in their marriage, leading to the split. Manju reportedly found messages between Dileep and Kavya, and a friend (whom the actor claimed to be Bhavana Menon) confirmed the affair. Dileep, however, initially claimed that Manju was harassing him and that her decision to revive her acting career after marriage was the reason for their troubles. Thus, the couple, who married in 1998 and had been together for 16 years, filed a joint divorce petition in July 2014, which was finalised at the end of January 2015. Their daughter, Meenakshi, who was a teenager at the time, chose to live with her father.
What are your thoughts on Dileep's explosive accusations against his ex-wife, Manju Warrier? Let us know.
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