Mumbai: Veteran actress Mandakini has revisited some of the most controversial chapters of her Bollywood career, speaking about her viral photograph with underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim and the much-discussed scenes from her 1985 debut film Ram Teri Ganga Maili.

The actress has now clarified that she was not invited by Dawood Ibrahim to the cricket match where the photograph was taken and said the controversy surrounding the picture caused considerable damage to her career.

At the same time, Mandakini has addressed the long-running controversy surrounding the film’s waterfall sequence and the scene popularly described as a breastfeeding scene, revealing that the latter was actually created through camera technique and visual illusion.

‘Dawood did not invite me’

The photograph of Mandakini sitting alongside Dawood Ibrahim at a cricket match became one of the most talked-about celebrity images of the era.

For years, the picture fuelled speculation about a relationship between the actress and the underworld figure.

Mandakini has now rejected that narrative.

She explained that she had travelled to Dubai for a show and later went to the cricket match. Dawood was among the people present at the venue, and the photograph was taken there.

According to Mandakini, she had not travelled to Dubai at Dawood's invitation.

‘The controversy did a lot of damage’

Looking back, Mandakini admitted that the controversy surrounding the photograph had a serious impact on her career.

She said that at the time she did not have a professional team to handle such situations and only later understood how important it was for an actor to have people managing media and public perception.

The actress also said that she had denied the rumours at the time, but the controversy continued to follow her.

What really happened in the controversial ‘breastfeeding scene’?

One of the biggest talking points surrounding Ram Teri Ganga Maili has been the scene that has popularly been referred to as the film's “breastfeeding scene”.

Mandakini has now clarified that there was no actual breastfeeding involved.

Instead, the scene was carefully filmed to create that visual impression through camera positioning and framing. She performed the scene herself and did not use a body double.

The clarification adds a new perspective to one of the most debated sequences in Hindi cinema.

‘I did not feel any vulgarity’

Mandakini has also spoken about how she personally viewed the controversial scenes at the time.

The actress said she did not feel that the scenes were vulgar while filming them. She was very young when production began and said she largely went along with director Raj Kapoor's creative vision.

The film's waterfall sequence, in which she appeared in a wet, translucent white saree, became particularly famous and controversial.

Interestingly, Mandakini has said she later refused opportunities to recreate the iconic saree sequence.

The film that made Mandakini an overnight star

Released in 1985, Ram Teri Ganga Maili was Mandakini's debut film and became a major success.

Directed by Raj Kapoor, the film transformed the newcomer into one of the most recognisable faces of 1980s Hindi cinema.

But the same film also became associated with controversy because of its sensual imagery, particularly the waterfall sequence and the scene that was widely interpreted as breastfeeding.

Decades later, Mandakini's comments offer her own perspective on how those scenes were conceived and filmed.

Mandakini reveals she was not paid for 16-17 films

The actress has also opened up about another lesser-known aspect of her Bollywood career.

Mandakini revealed that there were around 16 to 17 films for which she was never paid.

She recalled that the Hindi film industry of that era operated very differently from today's more structured system. Contracts and payments were often handled informally, and the working environment was much less professionalised.

She also remembered film sets as being warm and close-knit, almost like family gatherings.

However, that informal atmosphere also meant that artists could sometimes be left without proper payment or contractual protection.

From Stardom to controversy

Mandakini's Bollywood journey has been anything but conventional.

Ram Teri Ganga Maili gave her instant fame, while the film's controversial imagery became inseparable from her public image. Years later, the photograph with Dawood Ibrahim added another layer of controversy to her career.

Now, after several decades, Mandakini is revisiting these incidents in her own words.

Her comments provide a glimpse into a very different Bollywood—one where young actors often worked without the kind of professional management, contracts and media teams that are commonplace today.

A new look at an old Bollywood controversy

Mandakini's latest revelations have brought renewed attention to one of the most talked-about actresses and films of the 1980s.

From clarifying the truth behind the Dawood Ibrahim photograph to explaining the reality behind the so-called breastfeeding scene, the actress has attempted to separate fact from the speculation that surrounded her career for decades.

And perhaps the most revealing part of her story is that behind the glamour of becoming an overnight Bollywood star were unpaid films, intense media scrutiny and controversies that continued long after the cameras stopped rolling.