Choreographer Dhanashree Verma has been open about the intense trolling she faced following her separation and divorce from cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal, but she has recently started addressing the criticism with a subtle jibe. In a promo for an upcoming episode of the reality show Rise and Fall on Amazon MX Player, she made a clever reference to the “gold digger” label she received.
In the clip, contestants are faced with a choice between a gold bag and a silver bag. Her partner, actor Arjun Bijlani, states, “Look, diamonds and silver don’t suit me. Gold suits me.” Dhanashree’s response came with an ironic smirk, as she quipped, “I cannot say this line. If I say this line, I won’t even get the love that I am going to get.” The comment was an unmistakable reference to the online hate she has faced.
The public scrutiny intensified after her divorce from Chahal, particularly on the day their divorce was finalized in March. Chahal was seen wearing a T-shirt that read, “Be Your Own Sugar Daddy,” which fueled further online attacks against Dhanashree. Reacting to the incident on the Humans of Bombay podcast, Dhanashree confessed she was taken aback. She expressed that if he wanted to convey a message, he should have done it privately. “You should have sent it on WhatsApp. Why wear the T-shirt?” she said.
The couple, who married in December 2020, began living apart in mid-2022. They filed for divorce by mutual consent in February, and the divorce was granted the following month. Despite their public history, Dhanashree recently shared in a vlog with Farah Khan that she is still in touch with Chahal through messages, stating, “He used to call me maa; he is sweet only.”