Mamta Kulkarni has been making news for her spiritual journey. She recently addressed claims of her spending Rs 10 crore to become Mahamandaleshwar
Mamta Kulkarni
Former actress Mamta Kulkarni has been in the news of lately for her spiritual journey. She was recently appointed as the Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhara only to be later removed from the position due to internal conflicts within the community. Amid this there were claims that Kulkarni paid Rs 10 crore to become the Mahamandaleshwar. Now, the former actress has opened up about the viral claims. ADVERTISEMENTMamta Kulkarni opens up about poor financial conditionIn an interview with Rajat Sharma on Aap Ki Adalat, Mamta Kulkarni denied the claims of paying Rs 10 crore. She stressed on her poor financial conditions while talking about the same. “Mere pass Rs 10 crore kya Rs 1 crore bhi nahi hai. Mere bank accounts seize kar diye hai government ne. Aapko malum nahi hai main kis tarah se reh rahi hun. Mere pass paise nahi hai, kisi se udhar leke Rs 2 lakh, voh bhi jo guru ko dakshina deni hoti hai. (Forget Rs 10 crore; I do not have even ₹1 crore with me. The government has seized my bank accounts. You don’t know how I am surviving. I have no money. I had to borrow Rs 2 lakh from somebody to offer as ‘dakshina’ to my guru when I was made Mahamandaleshwar).”Kulkarni further shared, “Three of my apartments are in a state of disrepair, infested with termites, because they have remained closed for the past 23 years. I cannot even begin to describe the financial crisis I am going through.”
After being appointed as Mahamandaleshwar, Mamta Kulkarni was christened at the Kinnar Akhara during the Maha Kumbh 2025 with the new name Shri Yamai Mamta Nandgiri. She was later expelled by its founder Rishi Ajay Das. He also expelled Mahamandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi for inducting the Karan Arjun star. She has been accused of treason to the Akhara for designating Mamta as Mahamandaleshwar without his knowledge.
Mamta Kulkarni returned to India after 25 years
Mamta Kulkarni gained fame in the 1990s with her performances in hit films like Karan Arjun and Baazi. The actress has worked with top stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan during her career. However, in the early 2000s, Mamta stepped away from Bollywood and moved abroad, leading a life away from the limelight. She returned to Mumbai in December 2024.
She told IANS, “The reason for me leaving India was spirituality. In 1996, I became inclined towards spirituality, and during that time, I met Guru Gagan Giri Maharaj. After his arrival, my interest in spirituality grew, and my penance began. However, I believe Bollywood gave me both name and fame. After that, I quit Bollywood. From 2000 to 2012, I continued my penance. I spent many years in Dubai, where I lived in a two-bedroom flat and remained celibate for 12 years.”
Former actress Mamta Kulkarni has been in the news of lately for her spiritual journey. She was recently appointed as the Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhara only to be later removed from the position due to internal conflicts within the community. Amid this there were claims that Kulkarni paid Rs 10 crore to become the Mahamandaleshwar. Now, the former actress has opened up about the viral claims.
ADVERTISEMENT
In an interview with Rajat Sharma on Aap Ki Adalat, Mamta Kulkarni denied the claims of paying Rs 10 crore. She stressed on her poor financial conditions while talking about the same. “Mere pass Rs 10 crore kya Rs 1 crore bhi nahi hai. Mere bank accounts seize kar diye hai government ne. Aapko malum nahi hai main kis tarah se reh rahi hun. Mere pass paise nahi hai, kisi se udhar leke Rs 2 lakh, voh bhi jo guru ko dakshina deni hoti hai. (Forget Rs 10 crore; I do not have even ₹1 crore with me. The government has seized my bank accounts. You don’t know how I am surviving. I have no money. I had to borrow Rs 2 lakh from somebody to offer as ‘dakshina’ to my guru when I was made Mahamandaleshwar).”
Kulkarni further shared, “Three of my apartments are in a state of disrepair, infested with termites, because they have remained closed for the past 23 years. I cannot even begin to describe the financial crisis I am going through.”
After being appointed as Mahamandaleshwar, Mamta Kulkarni was christened at the Kinnar Akhara during the Maha Kumbh 2025 with the new name Shri Yamai Mamta Nandgiri. She was later expelled by its founder Rishi Ajay Das. He also expelled Mahamandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi for inducting the Karan Arjun star. She has been accused of treason to the Akhara for designating Mamta as Mahamandaleshwar without his knowledge.
Mamta Kulkarni gained fame in the 1990s with her performances in hit films like Karan Arjun and Baazi. The actress has worked with top stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan during her career. However, in the early 2000s, Mamta stepped away from Bollywood and moved abroad, leading a life away from the limelight. She returned to Mumbai in December 2024.
She told IANS, “The reason for me leaving India was spirituality. In 1996, I became inclined towards spirituality, and during that time, I met Guru Gagan Giri Maharaj. After his arrival, my interest in spirituality grew, and my penance began. However, I believe Bollywood gave me both name and fame. After that, I quit Bollywood. From 2000 to 2012, I continued my penance. I spent many years in Dubai, where I lived in a two-bedroom flat and remained celibate for 12 years.”
