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Mamta Kulkarni

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Mahamandaleswar Shree Yamai Mamta Nand Giri
Mamta Kulkarani
ममता कुलकर्णी
Born
Mamta Kulkarni

(1972-04-20) 20 April 1972 (age 52), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Other namesMamta Kulkarni
Mamta Goswami
Occupations
Years active1989–2003
2025–present
PartnerVicky Goswami (1996–2016)

Mahamandaleswar Shree Yamai Mamta Nand Giri[1] (born 20 April 1972)[2] formerly known as Mamta Kulkarni is an Indian former actress and model turned Hindu monk known for her work in Hindi cinema. She has appeared in commercially successful Hindi films such as Waqt Hamara Hai (1993), Krantiveer (1994), Karan Arjun (1995), Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995), Andolan (1995), Baazi (1996), China Gate (1998) and Chhupa Rustam: A Musical Thriller (2001). Her performance in Aashiq Awara (1993) won her the 1994 Filmfare Award for Lux New Face of the Year. In the blockbuster Karan Arjun, directed by Rakesh Roshan, Kulkarni starred alongside Salman Khan. She quit the film industry after her appearance in the film Kabhie Tum Kabhie Hum.

After a long controversial life and disappearance of more than 20 years, Mamta announced her sanyas and became Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar akhara during 2025 Prayagraj Mahakumbh in presence of Acharaya Mahamandaleshvar of the same akhara, Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi.[3] She performed all the rituals including Pindadanam, Pattabhishekam, etc., after which she adopted the new name Yamai Mamta Nand Giri.[4][5][6]

Early & personal life

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Kulkarni was born on April 20, 1972, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, into a middle-class Marathi Brahmin family. Her father, Mukund Kulkarni, was a former commissioner of Mumbai. She has two sisters. She was educated at St. Joseph's High School in Juhu. She actively participated in school plays and in cultural programs.

Kulkarni was in a relationship with Vicky Goswami until 2016.[7]

Career

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Kulkarni made her film debut with the 1992 film Tirangaa. In 1993, she starred in Aashiq Awara, which won her a Filmfare Award for Lux New Face of the Year. She went on to appear in many popular films such as Waqt Hamara Hai (1993), Krantiveer (1994), Karan Arjun (1995), Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995) and Baazi (1995). She mostly played the leading actor's love interest in all these films.

Things changed when Rajkumar Santoshi, in whose earlier movie Ghatak: Lethal (1996) she had a cameo appearance in a song, cast her as the female lead in his 1998 film China Gate, an ambitious remake of Seven Samurai. However, things did not go as planned. Relations between Santoshi and the actress soured. Rumours began circulating that Kulkarni had been dropped from the movie, and was reinstated only after gangster Chhota Rajan intervened on her behalf.[8] When the movie was finally released, it was an average earner. Furthermore, the only song in the movie, the item number "Chamma Chamma", was picturised on Urmila Matondkar, even though Kulkarni had built her reputation with such numbers. To add insult to injury, the song turned out to be a chartbuster, which greatly increased Matondkar's popularity.

Angered and frustrated at the turn of events, Kulkarni lashed out at Santoshi, accusing him of cutting her screen time because she had refused his advances.[9] Santoshi denied all rumours related to the movie, and the matter was given a quiet burial. However, this proved to be the death blow to Kulkarni's career. She only appeared in a handful of movies after that, and new offers dried up. Her last successful film was Chhupa Rustam: A Musical Thriller (2001). She quit movies after the 2002 film Kabhie Tum Kabhie Hum. She also did a few movies in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Malayalam.[10][11]

Controversy

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In June 2016, the Thane Police named Kulkarni as one of the accused involved in supplying ephedrine for illicit manufacture of methamphetamine to a ₹2000 crore international drug racket and gangster, intended for trafficking.[12] It is alleged that Kulkarni along with her partner Vicky Goswami and other co-accused attended a meeting in an international drug ring in Kenya in January 2016.[13]

The crime branch of Thane police, which is investigating an international ephedrine supply racket, on 25 June 2017 issued a notice of 'proclaimed offender' to her and her partner and alleged drug lord Vicky Goswami. A team of crime branch officials went to Kulkarni's house at Sky Enclave in Versova, suburban Mumbai, and pasted a notice on the door, as the actress' whereabouts are not known. A special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act court declared Kulkarni and Goswami as proclaimed offenders and ordered attachment of their properties.

In August 2024, the Bombay High Court quashed the 2016 drug case against former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni, deeming the proceedings "manifestly frivolous and vexatious." The court concluded that the evidence was insufficient to sustain charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, noting that Kulkarni's mere presence at a meeting did not warrant prosecution. The judges emphasized that continuing the case would constitute an abuse of the judicial process.[14]

Life as a Monk

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In January 2025, Mamta Kulkarni was appointed Mahamandaleshwar of the Kinnar Akhada at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. During the ceremony, she performed the Pind Daan ritual at the Triveni Sangam and was given the spiritual name Shree Yamai Mamta Nand Giri.

Filmography

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Year Title Language Role Notes
1991 Nanbargal Tamil Priya Debut Film
1992 Mera Dil Tere Liye Hindi Priya R. Singh
Tirangaa Sandhya
Premasikharam Telugu Preeti
Donga Police Gowri
1993 Bhookamp Hindi Kavita Anand
Waqt Hamara Hai Mamta Vidrohi
Ashaant Sonali Bilingual film
Vishnu Vijaya Kannada
Aashiq Awara Hindi Jyoti Filmfare Award for Lux New Face of the Year
1994 Anokha Premyudh Priti
Betaaj Badshah Tejeshwani / Gudiya
Gangster —
Dilbar Priya Verma
Krantiveer Mamta
Vaade Iraade Nikita Sekhri
1995 Karan Arjun Bindiya
Andolan Guddi
Baazi Journalist Sanjana Roy
Policewala Gunda Sudha's sister
Sabse Bada Khiladi Sunita Das
Kismat Madhu
Ahankaar Naina
Bhagya Debata Bengali Special appearance
1996 Raja Aur Rangeeli Hindi
Beqabu Reshmi Kapoor
Ghatak: Lethal Dancer (in song "Maara Re"), item number "Koi Jaaye To"
1997 Jeevan Yudh Kajal Choudhry
Krantikari Dancer
Naseeb Pooja
1998 Jaane Jigar Meena and Meenu (Double Role)
Qila Neeta
China Gate Sandhya
1999 Chandamama Malayalam Special appearance in the song "Rojaappoo Kavilathu"
2001 Bangshadhar Hindi
Censor Nisha
Chhupa Rustam: A Musical Thriller Sandhya
2002 Divine Temple Khajuraho
Kabhie Tum Kabhie Hum Sumona
2003 Shesh Bongsodhar Bengali Antara Bangladeshi Film

References

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  1. ^ "Actor Mamta Kulkarni Takes 'Sanyas', Gets New Name At Maha Kumbh In UP". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  2. ^ Mamta Kulkarni turns 40 – Birthday Suite: Mamta Kulkarni Archived 21 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Entertainment.in.msn.com (20 April 2012). Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  3. ^ Tyagi, Amit (24 January 2025). "90s star Mamta Kulkarni named Mahamandleshwar of Kinnar Akhada, takes a dip at sangam". India Today.
  4. ^ "Mahakumbh 2025: Actor Mamta Kulkarni becomes 'Mahamandleshwar' of Kinnar Akhara, assumes a new name: 'This was the order of Mahadev, Maha Kaali'". The Indian Express. 25 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Mamta Kulkarni becomes Mahamandleshwar of Kinnar Akhara, receives a new name 'Shri Yamai Mamta Nand Giri'". The Times of India. 25 January 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  6. ^ "Mamta Kulkarni: The Price Of Notoriety". The Times of India. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  7. ^ Mathew, Suresh (22 July 2016). "I Am Pure, No Desire For Sex, Films or Drugs, Says Mamta Kulkarni". TheQuint. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  8. ^ "The predator as prey". Rediff India. 27 December 1997. Archived from the original on 24 November 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2006.
  9. ^ "J'accuse!". The Telegraph. 4 March 2005. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2006.
  10. ^ Once Bollywood 'Hot'Shots: Where Are They? – Features-Features & Events-Indiatimes – Movies Archived 30 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Movies.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  11. ^ "Do you know how Chhupa Rustam did at the Box Office?". Archived from the original on 16 January 2021.
  12. ^ Mengle, Gautam. (18 June 2016). "Mamta Kulkarni named accused in Thane drug racket case". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  13. ^ Thaver, Mohamed (19 June 2016). "Ephedrine drug bust: Thane police name Mamta Kulkarni as accused". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 19 June 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  14. ^ "'Manifestly vexatious': Bombay High Court cancels Mamta Kulkarni's drug case". India Today. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
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