Mamta Kulkarni opens up about her shocking financial struggles

Published at: February 3, 2025 2:22 PM

Updated at: February 4, 2025 3:43 AM

Former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni, who later became a Hindu monk, has revealed that she is facing a severe financial crisis. She responded to allegations that she paid INR 10 crores to be appointed as the Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhara.

Mamta Kulkarni, one of the leading actresses in Bollywood during the 1990s with many successful films to her name, left the film industry in the early 2000s to live abroad. After disappearing for over two decades, she returned to India last year after being cleared of charges in a drug smuggling case by the Bombay High Court.

This year, Kulkarni, who announced her decision to take Sanyas after attending the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, was appointed as the Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhara, adopting the name Shri Yamai Mamta Nand Giri. However, she was soon expelled due to internal disputes within the community.

There were allegations that she paid INR 10 crores to earn this title. However, in a recent interview, Kulkarni denied these claims and revealed the extent of her financial difficulties. She stated, “I don’t even have INR 1 crore, let alone INR 10 crores. The government has frozen my bank accounts.” She went on to share, “You have no idea how I am surviving. I don’t have any money.”

Kulkarni further shared, “I had to borrow INR 2 lakhs just to offer as dakshina to my guru when I was given the title of Mahamandaleshwar.” She also mentioned that three of her apartments have been left in poor condition due to being uninhabited for the past 23 years, adding that they are now infested with termites. “I cannot even begin to explain the financial difficulties I am going through,” she said.