Veteran actor Mandakini has finally addressed the two most talked-about scenes from Raj Kapoor’s Ram Teri Ganga Maili, nearly 41 years after the film’s release. In an exclusive interview with ANI, the actress said she never felt anything vulgar about the famous waterfall sequence and clarified that no actual breastfeeding took place in the other controversial scene. Mandakini was only 16 when she began shooting for the 1985 film, which was Raj Kapoor’s last directorial venture.
Mandakini Says Waterfall Scene Was Not Vulgar
The waterfall scene in the song Tujhe Bulayen Yeh Meri Bahen, where Mandakini appeared in a white saree, became one of Hindi cinema’s most discussed moments. Mandakini said Raj Kapoor explained the sequence to her and rejected the perception that the scene was meant to be vulgar.
“Unka tarika aesa tha ki aap unse koi sawaal hi nahi karte the…itna pyar se itna gentle jaise aapka family member aapse karwa raha ho…(He had such a gentle and affectionate way of doing things that you would not even question him, as if a family member was guiding you through it.) I didn’t feel any vulgarity from anywhere. There was no disgusting feeling at all.”
She added that the film’s central idea was about purity and the character of Ganga. “The whole movie was that there is no purity. They wanted to make her (Ganga) impure. But they didn’t succeed,” Mandakini said.
The Saree Moment She Asked to Change
Mandakini also recalled feeling slightly conscious during the shoot and said she followed Kapoor’s suggestion to double the saree.
“He (Raj Kapoor) was in front of me…thoda sa mujhe laga to maine saree ko double kar liya..unhone kaha double kar lo to maine kar liya..bas ho gaya vo shot…(I felt a little uncomfortable, so I doubled the saree. He told me to double it, so I did. That was it, the shot was done.) It was a big thing for me. Because coming from a very small place.”
No Breastfeeding Happened, Mandakini Clarifies
The actress also spoke about the much-debated scene involving Ganga and a baby. Mandakini denied that actual breastfeeding took place, explaining the effect was created through camera work.
“No, there was no breastfeeding. They had picturised it so well. It’s very difficult for me to explain you now. But if I explain you how it was done, you will understand,” she said.
She added that she was simply holding the baby close to her. “Yes, I had a baby and I held it tightly… But it wasn’t breastfeeding. That’s what I want to tell everyone.”
Mandakini explained that her low-cut costume and the baby’s positioning, combined with the camera angle, created the impression that she was feeding the child. She maintained the scene was meant to show the bond between a mother and her baby but was understood differently by viewers.
Working With Raj Kapoor Felt Like Worship
Mandakini described her experience working with Raj Kapoor as deeply different from working with other directors later in her career. She said the set felt like a spiritual place where everyone worked with complete dedication.
“When the shooting started, each scene had to be explained. It felt like a spiritual place where everyone was doing their own work with a spiritual feeling. The cameraman was doing his role, the director was doing his role, the dance master was doing his role. Everyone was doing their own work like worship,” she said.
When asked if she felt hypnotised during the shoot, Mandakini said, “Haan… jaise koi feeling hi nahi hai. Like woh bol rahe hain yahan dekho, yeh karna hai… haan ji. It was like aap beh rahe ho jaise (It felt like you were just flowing with it).”
She also compared Raj Kapoor with other filmmakers she worked with later. “Do tarah ke directors hote hain na. Ek toh woh jo movies banate hain, jinko sach mein movie banani hoti hai. Aur doosre woh hote hain jinko bas movie khatam karni hoti hai, jaldi khatam karo, kisi ko deni hai, jaldi release karni hai. Toh difference toh tha,” she said.
Why She Refused to Recreate the Waterfall Scene
After Ram Teri Ganga Maili became a huge success, filmmakers pressured Mandakini to recreate the waterfall scene. She refused every time.
“To hit, you need a very good story. Which was in Ram Teri Ganga Maili,” she said.
Following the success of the film, Mandakini continued to work in Hindi cinema and appeared in more than 75 films during her career. She shared the screen with several leading actors, including Anil Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, and Govinda, among others.
How She Got the Name Mandakini
Mandakini, born as Yasmeen, also recalled how she got her screen name. She said the name gave her a distinct identity following the success of Ram Teri Ganga Maili. “It was a screen name only…mujhe (I was given)… it gave me a different identity after the film’s success,” she said.
The actress also revealed that filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj’s father, Ram Bhardwaj, was the first to suggest she become an actor. “His daughter and my elder sister were schoolmates in Meerut. One day, he asked my parents to take me to Bombay (now Mumbai) for a vacation and meet the few people whose contacts he gave for acting opportunities. Mom and dad were very excited, and they were the ones who decided that I become an actor, not me,” she shared.
The Dawood Ibrahim Photo Controversy
Mandakini also addressed the controversial photograph of her with underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim that surfaced years ago. She said she had travelled to Dubai for a show and attended a cricket match where the picture was taken.
“I was not invited by Dawood. I didn’t realise it at the moment,” she said. The actress added the controversy did a lot of damage to her career.
Related:
Mandakini’s Social Media Nostalgia
Recently, Mandakini joined the ongoing 80s nostalgia trend on social media, sharing a retro look that delighted her fans. Reacting to her post, netizens praised her for her style. One fan wrote, “You’ve been carrying the true essence of 80s fashion from the very beginning.” Another said, “You are the original version of 1980.”
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