16 September,2026 08:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Mandakini and Dawood Ibrahim pic via Instagram
Veteran actress Mandakini has recalled the controversial photograph of her with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim that circulated years ago, clarifying that she was not invited by him and that she had travelled to Dubai for a show before heading to the Sharjah cricket match, where the photograph was captured.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Mandakini said the speculation and reports that followed the photograph were beyond her control. She explained that, as an artist, she met and interacted with several people without treating anyone differently.
"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 theâ¦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 photograph later became the topic of controversy and widespread rumours, which Mandakini said had a negative impact on her acting career. She added, "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."
Mandakini became an overnight sensation following her debut film Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), in which she essayed the lead role opposite Raj Kapoor's son, late Rajiv Kapoor. The film became a major success and established Mandakini as one of the most prominent actresses of Hindi cinema in the 1980s.
In a career span of nearly two decades, Mandakini starred in over 75 films and shared screen space with several leading stars, including Anil Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, Govinda, among others.
