Revision as of 00:13, 15 November 2014

Mamta Kulkarni: topless

The authors of this article include:

Mamta Kulkarni: topless

Mamta Kulkarni: topless

‘Adakara Mamta Kulkarni ka qubool Islam/ Shohar Vicky Goswami nay bhi mazhab Islam qubool kar liya’

India Today

The Times of India

Soumyadipta.Banerjee @timesgroup.com TWEET @soumyadipta The Times of India

India-Forums

Mamta Kulkarni’s "Autobiography Of An [sic] Yogini" [1]

Mamta Kulkarni [2]

India TV News

Personal details

Born: 20 April 1972, Mumbai

Pet name Rani

Height 5' 5" (1.65 m)

Career

1991-92

India TV News

Tirangaa (1992) with Raj Kumar and Nana Patekar was Mamta’s first major Hindi-Urdu film, though it was her fifth film and second Hindi-Urdu film. This propelled her into the A–league and she acted opposite almost every major Hindi-Urdu star—and many south Indian ones.

1993: The topless shoot

September, 1993: Mamta posed topless for the cover of Stardust.

In his interview to Mumbai Mirror, photographer Jayesh Sheth talked about the former Bollywood star and the infamous photo shoot where she posed for a magazine cover topless. The photographer revealed that when most A-list actresses in B-town refused to do this shoot, Mamta had agreed. "I suggested Mamta's name, pointing out her innocent face and sexy body," reminisces Jayesh. Adding, "It was a shortcut to success.

“Mamta was soon competing with another promising contender, Divya Bharti."

Jayesh further stated in his interview to Mumbai Mirror that this shoot had made Mamta an overnight star, bringing her films opposite the top heroes of the time, from Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan to Govinda.

A number of law suits were filed against her under India's obscenity laws. Mamta appeared in court in a burqa and hit out at protesters, calling them hypocrites.

The burqa, used by a siren for reasons other than Islamic modesty, offended several Muslim groups and started another controversy.

(After almost seven years of litigation, Mamta was finally convicted in July 2000, and was fined Rs 15,000.)

1993-95: success

In 1993 she starred opposite Saif Ali Khan in "Aashiq Awara" which won her a Filmfare Lux New Face Award .

In 1993 itself, Mamta worked in the film Ashant with film star Govinda. Mamta worked in nearly a dozen films in a brief span on two years, and signed up films at random for the next three years.

In 1994, she had another hit Krantiveer, produced by Salman's brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri, and acted with Nana Patekar under Mehul Kumar's direction.

Rakesh Roshan's Karan Arjun was a super hit in 1995, in which Mamta appeared with Shah Rukh Khan.

At one point of time, Mamta was working with all three great Khans in Bollywood, Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir. She did Baazi with Aamir Khan in 1995, which was a hit.

She appeared in number of films like "Sabse Bada Khiladi" (1995) which did very well at the box office. However most of her roles involved only a little more than being a love interest to the leading man of the films or glamourous dance sequences, projecting her as a sex symbol. She hardly had anything to do in the movies except a few dance sequences.

Mamta Kulkarni had regretted of being typecast as an item girl.

Film producer Madan Mohla says, ‘Mamta's mother was the reason behind her downfall, as she was greedy, and forced her daughter to sign films recklessly.’ India TV News

Mid-1990s: Disappearances

Mamta Kulkarni is said to have briefly disappeared, only to return with Rajkumar Santoshi's Ghatak. Further to reports in Mumbai Mirror, she later got embroiled in a controversy with Tinu Verma and vanished again for two years.

"Then one fine day she was back in my studio, wanting to do a photo shoot. I could see she was not in good shape, physically, and it was her do-or-die attempt. While at my studio she got a call from Dubai. After putting the phone down, she told me she planned to go abroad and get filthy rich. That was the last conversation we had, back in 1996," said photographer Jayesh.

1997: The best and worst of times

Mamta had done an item number in Raj Kumar Santoshi’s successful film Ghatak. Therefore, when Santoshi chose her as the female lead of his magnum opus China Gate (an Indian adaptation of "The Magnificent Seven"), everyone knew that she was finally in the top league. Not only did she get to act with a host of Filmistan’s top thespians, she landed a meaty, deglamourised role, the kind that brings awards and respect. Tinu Verma was the film’s action director.

However, the film turned out to be Mamta’s fall, and not rise.

Soon after the film’s shooting began Santoshi and she fell out, and Santoshi reportedly removed her from the film. Apparently she got back into the film when don Chhota Rajan leaned on Santoshi to take her back. The miffed director chopped Mamta’s role and reduced it drastically. The film’s only song, "Chamma Chamma", which was meant for her, was given to Urmila Matondkar. The song was a superhit, such a hit that Baz Luhrman borrowed it for his Moulin Rouge. Urmila’s stock rose at the expense of Mamta.

Mamta’s only consolation could have been from the fact that the big-budget film, released in 1998, was a flop, sinking several reputations with it.

India TV News writes, ‘Mamta then levelled serious charges against Santoshi alleging he had asked her to come to his bedroom.’

Making such an allegation is normally the kiss of death for an actress. No director wants to work with an actress who can say such a thing about a director. The fact that she could get don Chhota Rajan to speak for her unnerved actors and filmmakers further. They all began to avoid her.

To make things worse she attacked other actresses in media interviews. Many of them hit back, vitiating the atmosphere further. Her rivals made fun of her poor, Marathi-accented Hindi-Urdu, and worse English. (Generous samples of her distinct English have been included in this article.)

1997 was also the year when Mamta was criticised for having danced at a private function organised by an MLA from Bihar. According to the media she had been paid a very handsome amount for the dance. The MLA was subsequently arrested in the fodder scam. Apparently Mamta was interrogated, but she denied any knowledge of the legislator's antecedents.

Mamta appeared in very few films after that. New offers dried up. Her career in Filmistan started winding down.

2000-02

2000: Her films Qila (d: Umesh Mehra), and Chhupa Rustam (d: Madan Mohla) flopped at the box office.

Then Mamta was seen in Dev Anand's Censor, another flop, which released in 2001.

In 2002, Mamta did the role of a Devdasi in the film Khajuraho, exposing her body. But the steep decline was evident.

And, with the shirtless cover image of Mamta on Stardust creating an uproar, Mamta's father left both his wife and his daughter. From 2002 onwards, Mamata was not seen by anybody in Mumbai. India TV News

Personal life

1996-97: How she met Vicki Goswami

Here are unedited excerpts from Mamta’s official Facebook page [it has since been removed but you can read it in an Archived form at [3]:

“Now let me take you to year 1996-1997 when entire industry headed to Dubai like all your top khans as well as most of the top non-khan actors/actresses too for opening of Vicki Goswamis’ Hotel in Dubai and the above actors’ their secretaries spread stories about how these stars came to Bombay after visiting Mr.Vicki with mobiles ,cars, jewellery”

“Even our Miss world then of year 1994 who had her whole house decorated by him in fact she took him to a jeweller at her Miss World pageant and fetched the most expensive piece of jewellery.” [Aishwarya Rai was Miss World 1994.]

“Well that year 1996-1997 i had no secretary i appointed one Mr.Hasmukh as my secretary .One day my secretary gets a call from a person Name Mr.Vicki Goswami.Since i am being introvert i really didn’t encourage him. Slowly one day i get another call this time i do research about him and get stories about him about his ways of gifting form from some of my co-stars during that month after several calls of pestering to have to meet me though he sounded too down to earth and me am being very difficult, somebody had to be really a good human to make a feeling within me.

“After several months i agreed to meet him and when i heard of him of being already married i told him on his face whats the point of us meeting as you are already married, then he mentioned to me that his marriage is on rocks already. and then i get to know about his hotel opening that was 21 june 1997 i was shooting in seychelles.

“Everyone above mentioned top khans landed in dubai among which AA+ khan even landed in his clutches [probably he would not go for his own mother], and many all were there and same night of his opening after everything finished was his arrest.”

‘Vicky has been made a scapegoat for a local ruler’s crime’

Mamta adds: [4]

“All papers flashed him being a Drug Smuggler i was shocked as no one till then ever told me who he was so even i believed everything said and read in papers.”

“There was no call from him for 2 years but him being a good human-being thats' what people would call him as large hearted some called him as farishta.

“Believe me after my 12 years of spiritual bath. i have yet to see an human-being like him.

Sometime between 1999 and 2001: penance begins

“Coming back after 2 years i receive a call from him from solitary confinement that he has given up food and water for 22 days as he better die than sign on those papers which make him to accept the things not done by him but done by [a middle-eastern ruling family] had done as he was very close to the Rulers’ son and the factory and the drugs that were caught belonged to the Rulers’ Son …

“So when everything exploded he ran out of the country and had still not arrived since 10 years… And Vicki who pumped millions in U.A.E had opened a first water park in the same region and also had opened a 5 star hotel and was about to open an airport was robbed of all his money his properties and wealth and was made an scape goat as there would not be better apportunity than this to snatch his Empire was made guilty of the crime which he was not even aware off.

“During that time i went to Dubai and also my sadhguru [Shri Gagangiri Maharaj] directions and his choice of my place for my penance became one.i landed Dubai.I went to visit him.Best part till then i was mere a outside spectator to Vickis’ Case. As i stood outside the jail there were some 200 ladies there who would come regularly to visit their respective relatives when they heard that i came to visit Vicki Goswami they were all muslim ladies.

“they said ye aadmi tho nirdosh hai, isko phasaya gaya hai, iske jagaha koi aur hona chaii [chahiye] tha !

“it opened my eyes[.] till then i never went so deep into his case[.] nor i have been to Dubai, as in Mumbai Going to Dubai is never considered good. [Indian actresses who go to Dubai and come back with Mamta colourfully called ‘mobiles, cars, jewellery’ are always gossiped about.] Since before this i knew very little about Vicki, i researched about him as truth doesn’t come cheap it needs thorough investigation…”

Standing by her man…

…as advised by our Vedas and Rishis

“same with Vicki he is innocent just as you and me so while practising my Meditation i was also praying God for his coming out alive ,infact because of my penance and continous appeals he was taken in protection by my SadhGuru [Shri Gagangiri Maharaj].

“This is me, you love someone in good times, stick by your man when in bad times too, in fact in our Vedas then Rishis would suggest to get women in their bad times as such a women will be with that man all his life. only an whore or an opportunist or a materialistic ladden women behave this way seeing their men in problem run with someone more better...

2012 or 13: Marriage with a convict?

Soumyadipta.Banerjee @timesgroup.com TWEET @soumyadipta The Times of India wrote: The'90s actor was dating drug trafficker Vickey Goswami, serving a life sentence in UAE.Marriage and conversion to Islam earned him clemency

Mamta Kulkarni,who walked the fine line between sleazy and sexy in the 90s, embraced a life of anonymity after her fortunes dipped and she found love with international drug kingpin Vicky Goswami.In 1997 Vicky was arrested for trafficking 11.5 tonnes of mandrax valued at $ 6 million and incarcerated in Dubai.

Mumbai Mirror has learnt that Vicky, now [in 2013] 52 years old, was released from the Dubai prison on November 15,2012, after his life sentence was reduced on account of his model conduct.While in prison he had converted to Islam,and married Mamta,who had been managing his real estate business that includes a prominent hotel in Dubai,in his absence.Sources close to the couple say,Vicky is now in Nairobi,with his faithful wife by his side.

Vickys hush-hush release from prison has been reported in several news channels in South Africa,from where he managed his network."A life sentence in Dubai is in effect 25 years,but prisoners can apply for early release on various grounds.Apart from good conduct,these include learning to recite passages from the Qu'ran or converting to Islam.To strengthen his clemency appeal,Goswami converted to Islam and was married according to Islamic rites while incarcerated,"says the article that appeared in the Mail & Guardian,which has been following the sensational case.

Though the opposition lawyers strongly opposed his clemency saying that he was an international criminal, the court pardoned him on grounds that he was a reformed criminal and a devout Muslim. The court also ordered that he be deported to his native country in India. Sources claim Vicky arrived in India during December 2012 and left for Kenya soon after. Since he did not have any specific criminal cases pending against him in India,it was easier for him to fly to Kenya.

The actual marriage between Goswami and Mamta took place on May 10, 2013 [though by some accounts it had taken place the previous year]

The now-reclusive actress has vowed to stay aloof of Filmistan owing to her interpretation of her new religion.

Rashid Saeed,one of the most well-known event organisers in Dubai,said: "It was extremely difficult to get in touch with Mamta.She was very reticent and turned down all offers to perform at our shows.Late last year,we were told by common friends that she was married and she would never perform on stage again.

Even though Mamta had disappeared,she kept in touch with her sisters,one of whom stays in Mumbai and has been appointed caretaker of her house in Mumbai.Mirror had reported how despite being away from the city, she had ensured that the maintenance and taxes reached the society on time.

2012 or Conversion to Islam?

After she became a Muslim she adopted the name Masha Alalykina

In July 2013, Mamta Kulkarni gave an exclusive interview to Soumyadipta Banerjee.

Soumyadipta Banerjee asked her about her attendance of the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage.

Mamta replied, ‘Yes I did. During Kumbh-melas time. I stayed for entire 10 days i took bath in Triveni Sangam and visited Kashi-Vishwanath.’[

About her marriage, Mamta said, "I was never married to no one, neither am I still married to anyone. My penance got over and Vicki was released ... I love vicki but even he knows my first love now is God."

2012: Vicky’s release after twelve years of penance

Mamta’s own version is[5]:

“And just as my meditation was ripening so was Vickis’ coming out. My penance got over and Vicki was released.

“In these 12 years no one came to me in Dubai all the stories of peolpe knowing me offering me where was the time out 24 hours 18 hours went in Gods service where was the time to see or hear anyone and remember God comes to you only when you are alone. and espscially when your world has become him

[Translation: What Mamta seems to be saying is that for twelve years she spent eighteen of the 24 hours of a day worshipping and serving God. (That must be why stories of her becoming a sanyasin [ascetic saint] must have spread.) No one from back home looked her up in Dubai during those 12 years.

[During those 12 years, her writings suggest that she did not wear make-up, visit a beauty parlour, watch a movie or even look into a mirror.]

Mamta concludes: [6] “Infact i love vicki but even he knows as my first love now is God because of my inner aspect i wanted to renounce everything about being attached to anyone or anything marriage as my first love is no more him and with so much of meditation theres’ nothing left in me as far as materialistic world is concerned...As being enlightened i am aware of my future too i am threading path which my Sadhguru [Shri Gagangiri Maharaj] has laid for me .right now this is it theres’ no more to reveal.”

But, is she a Muslim or not?

Mamta asserts: [7]

“First i am still Hindu neither Vicki Goswami has converted to Muslim. it would be shame on me after attaining my self and have written in detail in my book and also on my blog and after realizing ‘“GOD IS ONE"’ to change or convert into any religion or in my capacity to make someone change his/her religion would be like an dirty joke as this is not human-beings work leave that on God.”

A yogini?

In September 2012, Mamta Kulkarni published a book called "Autobiography Of An [sic] Yogini" [8]. Written in her unique brand of Indian English (obviously she did not use an editor), it has the picture of her bearded guru (and not herself) on the cover. The book is subtitled ‘Man From Mountains/ Gagangiri Maharaj/ Who raised dead.’

Mamta describes the book as “an dedication from a disciple to her 'MASTER' ,This Miraculous sage transformed a celebrity to an yogini.He banished darkness of many of my births and showered me jewel of "ENGLIGHTMENT".May his teachings reach how to you via me,This book will transform many ignorance indivisuals is my faith and establish and reveal truths which you never knew,

“World is coming to end sooner than we or our doctrines assayed, Earn as much as you need, least steal others' as this will keep your slate clean for judgment day or cement you good next birth to come, where are the people who feared GOD ? who are we ? why we come on earth and why there is henous crimes on upward swing, read this book and find out why?”

Excerpts from the book:

“This book is an eye-opener to many ignorants. The above churned milk [her autobiography] was from the manthan [churning of curds to produce butter] (from my 12 years of spiritual endeavour/meditation).

“My Bollywood histrionics were destined but my dip into the spiritual ocean was like a transit to the actual destination... When you get a Master he instantly becomes your mother, as it happened with me. In these 12 years of penance even my close relatives, my sisters, were not aware of it. Forget my sisters, even I never knew that I was the chosen one. The day I attained myself, I was in tears, as the stages were very difficult...

“Here I was doing my penance. I did not meet anyone neither did I let anyone come close to disturb me so the stories that are making news recently are from publicity-hungry individuals. No one knew about my address or my country of residence as I would not have been able to accomplish what was supposedly my destiny... And another news about me changing my religion and marrying... If someone reads my book they will realise the truth. And then this is God’s department if he has made Hindu or Muslim... This shows how much the press is aware.”

2013/ Nairobi, Kenya

In 2013 Mail Today wrote:

After [Vicky’s] release, the couple has shifted to Nairobi where Vicky spent several years of his initial life.

Vicky's release has also created ripples in the African media. As per reports in a prominent South-African daily, Mail & Guardian, Vicky first came to South Africa in 1994 and acquired property, luxury cars and shares in companies allegedly linked to money laundering and was involved in various drugrelated cases.

2014: drug raid

The Times of India wrote: Mamta Kulkarni seems to be mired in controversy of late. Reportedly, the yesteryear actress was caught in a drug raid in Kenya, as reported in Mumbai Mirror.

With the news doing the rounds that yesteryear actress Mamta Kulkarni was arrested, the media went crazy. Mamta was reportedly taken into custody by the Kenyan police along with husband Vijay 'Vicky' Goswami, on charges of drug trafficking.

But according to Mumbai Mirror, that while her husband has indeed been arrested after a major drug bust undertaken by the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the National Police Service of Kenya, Mamta was not detained.

Citing a leading Kenyan daily, the Mumbai Mirror report says that the suspects were picked up in Nyali, Mombasa, at the residence of Baktash and Ibrahim Abdalla. The two Kenyan nationals were arrested, along with Goswami and another Indian national, Kulam Hussein.

The head of the unit investigating the case, Hamisi Massa, told the local press that the "suspects are liable to charges of conspiracy to traffic narcotic drugs in the US and Kenya and if found guilty, will attract severe penalties." Cliff Ombeta, the lawyer representing the accused, including Goswami, admitted that Mamta was present in the house during the raid, but said that she was not arrested or detained.

Speaking from Mombosa, he told Mirror, "The lady was present in the house in Nyali when the police raided it. But no drugs were found there. The police arrested the Abdalla brothers, Vijay Goswami and Kulam Hussein based on an earlier raid in Nairobi. They will be in police custody for 14 days." He added, "The US agencies want to extradite them so the trial can take place in a New York court. We will strongly oppose that."

Mirror tried to reach the Kenyan Director of Public Prosecutions to verify the lawyer's claim, but they chose not to comment. When Mirror asked if Mamta can be jailed, considering that she is Goswami's wife, Ombeta asserted, "She has nothing to do with the offence. Therefore, she wasn't taken to the police station. She is in her house and absolutely free."

A biopic!

Now, in 2014, the photographer is penning the script for his film which is about a struggling actress who makes it big and then disappears from the screen.

"That's the subject of my second film and the protagonist has definitely been inspired by Mamta Kulkarni. I was just putting the finishing touches to the script when I heard that she has been traced to Kenya," says Jayesh. "I was shocked but not really surprised. But now, given this fresh twist in her story, I'll have to make some changes in the climax of my film," concludes the photographer.

Filmography

As an actress

1991 Nanbargal/ Tamil

1992 Donga Police/ Telugu

1992 Mera Dil Tere Liye

1992 Premasikharam/ Telugu

1992 Tirangaa

1993 Aashik Aawara

1993 Ashaant

1993 Bhookamp

1993 Vishnu Vijaya/ Kannada

1993 Waqt Hamara Hai

1994 Anokha Premyudh

1994 Betaaj Badshah

1994 Dilbar

1994 Gangster

1994 Krantiveer

1994 Vaade Iraade

1995 Ahankaar

1995 Andolan

1995 Baazi

1995 Bhagya Debata/ Bengali

1995 Karan Arjun

1995 Kismat

1995 Policewala Gunda

1995 Sabse Bada Khiladi

1996 Beqabu

1996 Ghatak: Lethal

1996 Raja Aur Rangeeli

1997 Jeevan Yudh

1997 Krantikari

1997 Naseeb

1998 China Gate

1998 Jaane Jigar

1998 Qila

1999 Chandamama/ Malayalam

2001 Banshadhar/ Bengali

2001 Censor

2001 Chhupa Rustam: A Musical Thriller

2002 Divine Temple Khajuraho

2002 Kabhie Tum Kabhie Hum