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Veteran actress Mandakini has clarified that she was not invited by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim after a controversial photograph of them together resurfaced years ago. She said she had travelled to Dubai for a show and later attended a cricket match, where the photograph was taken.
Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview, Mandakini said she had no control over the reports and speculation that followed. She also revealed that the controversy had a damaging effect on her film career.
Mandakini denies being invited by Dawood Ibrahim
Mandakini explained that she was in Dubai for a professional commitment when she attended the cricket match. She said several people were present and that, as an artist, she did not choose whom to interact with based
on their background.
“Jo bhi log likhna chahe, jo bhi bolna chahe, we don’t have control over it. Ek artist ko hazaron log milte hain aur hum sabke liye barabar hai. Bahut saare log saath mein the…kiske liye choose karein, kiske liye choose na karein… Hum waha kisi show ke liye gaye the. No, I was not invited by Dawood. (Whatever people want to write or say, we don’t have control over it. An artist has to meet many people, and we are equal to everyone. There were so many people with us; whom do we choose, and whom do we not? I was in Dubai for a show and then went for the match. I was not invited by Dawood. I didn’t realise it at the moment)”, she said.
The actress added that she did not realise the impact of the photograph at the time. However, once it surfaced, it became the subject of reports and speculation.
‘The controversy did a lot of damage’
Mandakini said the controversy affected her professional life and that she later understood the importance of having a team to handle such situations. “The controversy did a lot of damage. Later, I came to know that one should have a team to take care of all these things. I denied the rumours everywhere,” she added.
Mandakini’s journey in Hindi cinema
Mandakini made her Bollywood debut with Raj Kapoor’s 1985 film Ram Teri Ganga Maili, opposite Rajiv Kapoor. The film became a major box-office success and turned her into an overnight star, while her performance and the film’s controversial scenes made her one of the most talked-about actresses of the decade. She went on to work in films such as Jeeva, Dance Dance, Pyaar Karke Dekho, Commando, Jeete Hain Shaan Se and Kahan Hai Kanoon, sharing the screen with actors including Mithun Chakraborty, Govinda and Aditya Pancholi. Her last film was Zordaar in 1996, after which she stepped away from mainstream cinema.
