MAMTA KULKARNI

MAMTA KULKARNI - Film Actress

Mamta Kulkarni (born 20 April 1972) made her debut through the Tamil film Nanbargal which was directed by Shoba Chandrasekar. She made her Bollywood debut with the 1992 movie Tirangaa. In 1993 she starred in Aashiq Awara, which won her a Filmfare Lux New Face Award. She went to appear in many other popular films such as Waqt Hamara Hai (1993), Krantiveer (1994), Karan Arjun (1995), Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995), Ghatak: Lethal (1996), Beqabu, Baazi, Gangstar, Chupa Rustam, Qila, Andolan, which did well at the box office.

Things seemed to change when Rajkumar Santoshi, in whose earlier movie Ghatak: Lethal (1996), she had a cameo appearance, cast her as the female lead in his 1998 movie China Gate, an ambitious remake of Seven Samurai. In a glamorized role and sharing screen space with some of Hindi cinemas finest actors, she had the perfect opportunity to showcase her acting talent.

However, things did not go as planned. Relations between Santoshi and the actress soured, and rumours began circulating that Kulkarni was dropped from the movie, and reinstated only after gangster Chhota Rajan intervened on her behalf. When the movie was finally released, it was also a huge flop. 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, and was even used in Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge!, and greatly increased Urmila's popularity.

Angered at the turn of events, Kulkarni lashed out at Santoshi, accusing him of cutting her screen time because she had refused his advances. 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. She quit movies after her last appearance in the 2002 film Kabhie Tum Kabhie Hum. Mamta also did few movies in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Malayalam. 

During her career she was offered many other films with Mithun Chakraborty, Ajay Devgan, Bobby Deol, Shahrukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Khanna. She turned down many big films such as Sapoot, Agnaary, Mr and Mrs Khiladi, Bandahan, Aunty No.1, Dulhe Raja, Davaa, Shikari and Hogi Pyar Ki Jeet because her role was not substantial. 

She gained fame after posing topless for a photograph that appeared on the cover of Stardust, a popular Indian film magazine in September 1993. She was charged under India's many obscenity laws, and found herself under attack from both conservative religious groups, and women's groups. The outspoken actress lashed out at protesters, calling them hypocrites. Kulkarni was finally convicted in July 2000, and fined Rs. 15,000. However, this caused yet another controversy because she appeared in court in a burqa to evade photographers, which led to death threats and protests from the local Islamic community. However, she was held innocent by the Bombay High Court in January 2004. 

At the same time, she continued to be dogged by controversy. In 1997, she was reportedly paid a large amount to perform at a private function by a legislator from Bihar, who was later arrested after investigations into the Fodder Scam case. Kulkarni was interrogated, but she denied any knowledge of the legislator's antecedents.

Kulkarni married an NRI from USA.  But, now Mamta has shifted in with her boyfriend Vicky Goswami in Dubai, UAE. She got married on 10th may 2013 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. She also has embraced Islam along with her husband Vicky.

Vicky, now 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.

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.