Mandakini breaks silence on Dawood Ibrahim photo: 'I was not invited by him'
Mandakini has revealed the truth about this infamous photograph with Dawood Ibrahim
Veteran star Mandakini has for years been linked to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, all thanks to a series of photos of them attending a match in Dubai. Now, years later, she has clarified that she was not invited by Ibrahim.
For years, there have been rumours linking veteran actress Mandakini to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Photos of her sitting next to him in Dubai during a cricket match had travelled far and wide. Now, years after the photos were splashed across magazines and newspapers in India, Mandakini has clarified that she was never invited to watch the match by the underworld don.
'An artist has to meet many people'
Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview, Mandakini said she had no control over the speculation and reports that followed the photograph, adding that as an artist, she interacted with several people and did not distinguish between them.
“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 controversy did a lot of damage’
Mandakini did admit that the controversy did a lot of damage to her image. The photograph became a subject of controversy and widespread speculation, which Mandakini admits left a significant impact on her career.
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“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.
More about Mandakini
Mandakini rose to fame with her debut film Ram Teri Ganga Maili, which was directed by Raj Kapoor. Mandakini was paired opposite Rajiv Kapoor and the film was a huge box office success. Mandakini went on to become a major success and established Mandakini as a leading actress of her era.
Despite being a newcomer and just 16-years-old, Mandakini’s portrayal of Ganga left a lasting impact on audiences. Speaking about working with Raj Kapoor, she said, “He had such a gentle and affectionate way of doing things that you would not even question him, as if a family member was guiding you through it.) I didn't feel any vulgarity from anywhere. There was no disgusting feeling at all. The whole movie was that there is no purity. They wanted to make her (Ganga) impure. But they didn't succeed.”
Following the success of the film, Mandakini continued to work in Hindi cinema and appeared in more than 75 films during her career. She also shared the screen with several leading actors, including Anil Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, Govinda, among others.
Mandakini married a former Buddhist monk, Dr. Kagyur T. Rinpoche Thakur, and embraced Buddhism. The couple have a son named Rabbil and a daughter Rabze Innaya. The couple maintain a low profile, away from public life.
