Badshah released his first Marathi track hours after his separation news with Isha Rikhi

Dubai: Tuesday delivered two Badshah stories within hours of each other, and they sit awkwardly side by side.

The rapper released Chimna, his first Marathi hip-hop track, on the same day he and Punjabi actress Isha Rikhi confirmed the end of their marriage after five months.

Chimna

Badshah has built a career on Hindi and Punjabi chart singles, and this is his first outing in Marathi, blending his hip-hop production with the rhythms of Maharashtrian folk.

"India's regional music is a goldmine and I want to celebrate every corner of it," Badshah said of the release. He described the track as a love letter to Maharashtra's creative canvas and dedicated it to his Maharashtrian fans.

Playback singer Divya Kumar and Marathi folk artist Nagesh Morwekar feature on the track. Marathi actress Neha Khan appears in the video.

Shot in Kolhapur, the video avoids the gloss that usually accompanies a crossover release. It moves through wedding processions, daily wage workers and mud wrestlers training at a traditional akhada, keeping the setting rooted rather than stylised.

The separation

Hours earlier, Badshah and Rikhi had posted identical statements to their Instagram Stories confirming they were parting ways.

They said the decision was mutual, made with respect, and asked for privacy. They also stated plainly that it would be their only comment, requesting an end to speculation about the reasons.

The couple married in an intimate ceremony in March 2026 after dating for close to four years. Rikhi confirmed the marriage publicly in June, during an Instagram question session with followers.

How the speculation built

Talk of trouble began circulating in July, after Rikhi posted about storms and what they leave behind. A second note followed about choosing courage over fear. Her mother posted about karma around the same period, which the internet duly read as related.

Neither Badshah nor Rikhi addressed any of it until Monday, and their joint statement does not engage with it now.

Badshah's second marriage to end

This is the second time one of the rapper's marriages has ended. He was previously married to Jasmine Masih, with whom he has a daughter, Jessemy Grace Masih Singh, born in January 2017. That divorce was finalised in 2020.