Mamta Kulkarni, the former Bollywood actress who recently announced her sanyas (renunciation) and adopted the new name Yamai Mamta Nand Giri, became a topic of widespread discussion after she was expelled from the post of Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhara during the 2025 Prayagraj Maha Kumbh Mela. She recently appeared on Rajat Sharma-hosted India TV’s show Aap Ki Adalat, where she spoke about her spiritual journey and shared her opinions on Bollywood. During the conversation, Rajat Sharma mentioned that in another show he had watched, Shah Rukh Khan had recalled an incident where Mamta scolded him and Salman Khan over some dance steps during the shoot of Karan Arjun. Mamta appeared surprised and then went on to clarify the situation. Mamta Kulkarni Fires Back at Baba Ramdev and Dhirendra Shastri on 'Aap Ki Adalat' for Questioning the Legitimacy of Her 'Mahamandleshwar' Title (Watch Video).

Mamta Kulkarni Recalls ‘Karan Arjun’ Filming Days

Mamta Kulkarni said, “Actually Chinni Prakash the choreographer Karan Arjun k. Aur ye dono, Shah Rukh-Salman, gaye the shooting pe aur mai akeli baiti thi. Ek ded ghante k baad, Chinni Prakash ka assistant aata hai, bola, “Mamta ji, aapko Masterji bula rahe hai”. Toh mai upar gayi. Mai upar ja rahi thi, Salman yaha se ja raha tha, Shah Rukh yaha se ja raha tha. (Actually, Chinni Prakash was the choreographer of Karan Arjun, and both Shah Rukh and Salman had gone for the shoot while I was sitting alone. After about an hour and a half, Chinni Prakash’s assistant came to me and said, ‘Mamta ji, Masterji is calling you.’ So, I went upstairs. As I was going up, Salman was coming from one direction, and Shah Rukh was coming from the other (pointing in different directions.)”

Mamta Kulkarni recalled being confused upon seeing their laughter. She continued, “Mai kuch nahi, mai ekdam serious reh gayi… raat ka 8 baje ka samay tha. (I didn’t say anything, I just remained serious… it was around 8 PM.)” She then explained the conversation she had with Chinni Prakash. He told her, “Mamta, maine decide kiya abhi ye jo step hai na (dono) you will do alone. (Mamta, I have decided that for this particular dance step, you will do it alone.) She agreed and performed her part the next day in a single shot.” She also revealed, “Shah Rukh aur Salman jo jhaadiyon ke peeche chhupe hue the, dekh rahe the aur hass rahe the, par maine ignore kiya (Shah Rukh and Salman, who were hiding behind the bushes, were watching and laughing, but I chose to ignore them.)” However, when it was their turn to perform, she recalled how they had to do multiple re-takes amidst a crowd of 5,000 people. ‘Karan Arjun’ Re-Release: When Mamta Kulkarni Praised Shah Rukh Khan for Being an Engaging Actor and ‘Warm Person’ (Watch Throwback Video).

Mamta Kulkarni on ‘Aap Ki Adalat’

After the pack-up, Mamta Kulkarni said she decided to follow Salman Khan and Shah Rukh to ensure that the entire song sequence didn’t end up being focused on her. She humorously added, “Mai jaise aayi, Salman aise aaya aur dhaad se darwaaza bandh kar diya aur lock kar diya (As soon as I got there, Salman came from one side, and with a loud bang, he shut the door and locked it).” She laughed and concluded, “Toh ye kaand ho gaya tha aur kuch nahi (So, this was the mischief that happened, nothing else.)”

Karan Arjun, released in 1995, starred Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Kajol, Mamta Kulkarni, Amrish Puri and Raakhee. The blockbuster film is directed by Rakesh Roshan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 07, 2025 02:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).