Mamta Kulkarni clarifies she's not returned to Mumbai for Bollywood: ‘Not planning to make a return as an actress’

Actor Mamta Kulkarni talked about coming back to Mumbai after 25 years and her relations with Vicky Goswami.

In a conversation with ANI, she said, "I have not come back for Bollywood and I am not planning to make a return as an actress.."

On talking about her connection with Vicky Goswami, she added, "I have no connection with D (drug) world as I never met these people. Yes, I got connected with Vicky Goswami......in 1996 my spiritual, journey started and a guru came into my life during that time...."

"Vicky called me when he was in jail in Dubai to come and meet him.. and I when met him...I spent 12 years...'mai dhayn tap aur puja path is mein agarasar ho gayi' (I got busy with meditation, penance, and worship), and when he came out of jail in 2012, my all desires were finished by that time… either to fall in love or get married... nothing was left and he came out of jail and I had decided until he would come out, I won't go back to India. Then he went to Kenya and I came to India for Kumbh mela in around 2012-2013. I went straight to Allahabad (now Prayagraj) from Dubai for ten days and then went back to Dubai."

In 2017, Thane Police issued a non-bailable warrant against Mamta Kulkarni and drug lord Vicky Goswami in connection with a drug haul case. The name of the duo surfaced in the connection based on which a chargesheet was filed. In January, Goswami, Ibrahim and Baktash Akasha as well as Gulam Hussein were extradited from Kenya to the US. All of them were arrested in November 2014 in a sting operation by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), who was posing as Colombian drug dealers.

“Vicky went back to Kenya, and once or twice, I went to meet him and came back to Dubai. He had already been accused in Kenya and I was not with him during that time. 2016-2024 see apne liye tapsaya kiya (I did penance for myself).” She added, "Now, I am not in touch with him, I last contacted him in 2016."

Meanwhile, the actor recently took to her Instagram account to share that she has finally landed in Mumbai. In the video, Mamta expressed her feelings of nostalgia and emotion as she revisited her homeland.

The actor shared that her journey out of India began in 2000, and now in 2024, she was finally back. Mamta also said she became emotional when the flight was about to land, seeing her country from above for the first time in over two decades. She also teared up while stepping out of Mumbai's international airport, overwhelmed by the significance of her return.

In the video caption, Mamta wrote, "BACK TO MY MOTHERLAND AFTER 25 YEARS ATTENDED KUMBH MELA 2012 AFTER 12 YEARS AUSTERITY AND COME BACK EXACTLY AFTER 12 YEARS FOR ANOTHER MAHA KUMBH 2025."

Mamta Kulkarni gained fame in the 1990s with her performances in hit films like Karan Arjun and Baazi. The actor 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.