Mandakini Says Dawood Did Not Invite Her to Sharjah Match, Photo Row Hurt Career

Veteran actress Mandakini has addressed the long-running controversy over a photograph of her with underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim, stating that he did not invite her to the cricket match where the picture was taken.

In an interview, she said she had travelled to Dubai for a stage show and went on to the match afterwards. "I was in Dubai for a show and then went for the match. I was not invited by Dawood," she said, adding that she did not realise the significance of the moment at the time.

Mandakini said she had no control over the reports and speculation that followed the photograph. As an artist, she explained, one meets a great many people and treats everyone alike, so there was no question of choosing whom to be seen with. "Whatever people want to write or say, we don't have control over it," she said.

The photograph became the subject of widespread conjecture, and Mandakini said the episode took a heavy toll on her career. "The controversy did a lot of damage," she said, adding that she later understood the value of having a team to manage such matters. She maintained that she denied the rumours wherever they surfaced.

Mandakini rose to prominence with her debut in Raj Kapoor's "Ram Teri Ganga Maili", in which she played the lead. The film was a major success and established her as a leading face of 1980s Hindi cinema. She went on to appear in more than 75 films and shared the screen with actors including Anil Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty and Govinda.