Govinda's co-actress became overnight sensation at 16. Later, one mistake destroyed her career. Mandakini reveals not getting paid for 16-17 films

Mandakini became a familiar face in Bollywood at a very young age after making her debut in Raj Kapoor's Ram Teri Ganga Maili. She was only 16 when she started working on the film, which went on to become one of the most talked-about movies of the 1980s. Years later, the actor has opened up about her journey in the Hindi film industry, the working culture of that era and some of the difficulties she faced during her career.

In a recent interview with ANI, Mandakini looked back at her years in the film industry and spoke about everything from working with leading actors to dealing with unpaid projects. She also revisited the controversy surrounding a photograph of her with underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim and said the episode had a damaging impact on her career.

Mandakini was only 16 when Ram Teri Ganga Maili happened

Mandakini entered Bollywood with Ram Teri Ganga Maili, directed by Raj Kapoor. The film, which starred Rajiv Kapoor opposite her, was Raj Kapoor's final directorial venture and became a major success.


One of the scenes that continues to be associated with Mandakini is the famous waterfall sequence. Speaking about the scene, the actor has previously maintained that she did not find it "vulgar or uncomfortable" while filming it. She was very young at the time and said she approached the sequence as part of her work.



The success of Ram Teri Ganga Maili brought Mandakini made her an overnight sensation. She subsequently worked with several renowned actors, including Mithun Chakraborty and Govinda, and appeared in films across the late 1980s. Her filmography also includes Pyaar Karke Dekho, Jung Baaz and Tezaab.

Looking back at those years, however, Mandakini remembers an industry that worked very differently from the one audiences see today.

Mandakini reveals she wasn't paid for 16-17 films

According to Mandakini, film sets in the 1980s were more informal and personal. She recalled actors and technicians eating together and freely visiting each other's rooms. She described the atmosphere as friendly and “homely”, saying there were fewer formalities between people working in the industry.

That informality also extended to contracts and payments, she said. Mandakini recalled, “In films, their contracts were very informal. People used to say, come on, sign the film. And after that, sometimes you get a payment, sometimes you don't. That too used to happen."

She also revealed that she occasionally agreed to work on projects for a short period when someone requested her help. In some cases, she did not insist on payment upfront.

However, this also meant that she ended up working on several films without receiving her full dues. Mandakini told ANI, "I used to get paid, ultimately, but there were 16 to 17 movies which I never got paid for."

Explaining what happened, she said some films were left incomplete or never reached theatres. In other cases, a film may have been released but the final payment was never made. According to her, such situations were not unusual during that period.

Mandakini on Dawood Ibrahim controversy

Mandakini also spoke about one of the most controversial episodes associated with her career, her photograph with Dawood Ibrahim.

The picture, which surfaced years ago, led to speculation about the nature of their association. Mandakini has repeatedly denied the rumours surrounding it. In her latest conversation, she said she had travelled to Dubai for a show and later went to a cricket match, where the photograph was taken.

She explained that she did not travel to Dubai specifically to watch the match and said there were many people present at the venue. Mandakini also denied that Dawood had invited her.

According to the actor, an artist meets thousands of people during their career and cannot control what is written or said about every interaction. She said she had no control over the way the photograph and subsequent reports were interpreted.

Mandakini has also said that the controversy caused "considerable damage to her career". She recalled denying the rumours at the time and later realised that having a professional team to handle such situations could have helped her deal with the fallout.

She further said that she was not aware of allegations surrounding underworld funding in Bollywood during the 1980s. Mandakini said she only became aware of such issues much later, through films and stories made about that period.

From becoming a teenage sensation with Ram Teri Ganga Maili to working with some of Bollywood's biggest stars, Mandakini's career had several high points. Mandakini made a brief return to the screen with a music video in August 2022 after stepping away from acting in 1996.