Mamta Kulkarni says 'Dawood Ibrahim not a terrorist, didn't carry out 1993 Mumbai blasts'; backtracks after outrage

Mamta Kulkarni sparked outrage after seemingly absolving underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, in which he is the main accused.

Former Bollywood actor-turned-seer Mamta Kulkarni has sparked a row after she seemed to let underworld don Dawood Ibrahim off the hook for the 1993 Mumbai blasts and stated that he “is not a terrorist.”

Mamta Kulkarni's statement on Dawood Ibrahim sparked a row.

However, the former actor later backtracked on her comments, saying they had been misconstrued.

Mamta Kulkarni says Dawood is not a terrorist

Mamta was in Gorakhpur this week for a three-day spiritual tour. According to PTI, while addressing a press conference there on Tuesday, she hat Dawood Ibrahim “did not carry out the Mumbai blasts and is not a terrorist”.

The statement sparked a controversy with many on social media criticising her for letting the gangster off the hook. Dawood is one of the main accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, which killed 257 people and injured over a thousand. The don has been on the run since the late 80s when he escaped to Dubai, and has been reportedly living in Karachi for over two decades now.

Mamta clarifies her statement

As Mamta's statements earned her brickbats, the former actor issued a clarification. On Thursday, while speaking to the press in Gorakhpur, she said, “I was referring to Vicky Goswami, not Dawood Ibrahim. Dawood is indeed a terrorist.” Goswami, who was arrested on charges of drug trafficking and jailed in the past, was linked with the former film star.

Mamta maintained that she has never met Dawood and has no association with him. “I have no connection with politics or the film industry now. I am completely devoted to spirituality. As a staunch follower of Sanatan Dharma, it is impossible for me to have any association with anti-national elements,” she said.

Mamta Kulkarni's film career and later life

Mamta Kulkarni was a successful actor in Bollywood in the early and mid-1990s, appearing in films like Krantiveer, Karan Arjun, and China Gate. She quit acting in 2002. In 2016, she was in the news after the Thane Police named her as one of the accused in a ₹2000 crore international drug racket. Charges against her were dropped in 2024 with the Bombay High Court deeming the proceedings “manifestly frivolous and vexatious.” She has lived as a monk for the last few years.