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Mamta Kulkarni (born 20 April 1972) is an Indian former actress and model 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.

Career

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. 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. 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.

Personal life

Kulkarni belonged to a middle class Marathi Brahmin family and claims that she was not married to Vicky Goswami.

Controversy

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. 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.

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.

Filmography

References

1. 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.
2. "The predator as prey". Rediff India. 27 December 1997. Archived from the original on 24 November 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2006.
3. "J'accuse!". The Telegraph. 4 March 2005. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2006.
4. 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.
5. "Do you know how Chhupa Rustam did at the Box Office?". Archived from the original on 16 January 2021.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. "Mumbai cops issue 'proclaimed offender' notice to Mamta Kulkarni". Hindustan Times. 24 June 2017. Archived from the original on 24 June 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2017.

External links

• Mamta Kulkarni at IMDb

• Living people
• 20th-century Indian actresses
• Marathi actresses
• 1972 births
• Actresses in Hindi cinema
• Indian film actresses
• Actresses from Mumbai
• 21st-century Indian actresses
• Actresses in Bengali cinema
• Actresses in Kannada cinema
• Actresses in Telugu cinema
• Actresses in Malayalam cinema
• Actresses in Tamil cinema
• Filmfare Awards winners