Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Veteran actor Mandakini has recalled shooting the iconic waterfall scene in Raj Kapoor’s Ram Teri Ganga Maili, highlighting that she found nothing vulgar or uncomfortable about the sequence. She mentioned that she was just 16 when filming began for the project, which marked Raj Kapoor’s final directorial venture.
In an interview with ANI, Mandakini addressed the lingering discourse around the white saree waterfall sequence in Tujhe Bulayen Yeh Meri Bahen and the controversial breastfeeding scene. She explained that both sequences were intended to represent innocence and purity within the narrative context rather than the sensationalised perception that followed.
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Speaking about the waterfall scene, Mandakini said Raj Kapoor had explained the sequence to her and rejected the view that it was meant to be vulgar. She said the film’s central idea was about purity and the character of Ganga.
She said, “Unka tarika aesa tha ki aap unse koi sawaal hi nahi karte the..itna pyaar se itna gentle jaise aapka family member aapse karwa raha ho… (He had such a gentle and affectionate way of doing things that you would not even question him, as if a family member was guiding you through it.) I didn’t feel any vulgarity from anywhere. There was no disgusting feeling at all. The whole movie was that there is no purity. They wanted to make her (Ganga) impure. But they didn’t succeed.”
She added, “He (Raj Kapoor) was in front of me…thoda sa mujhe laga to maine saree ko double kar liya..unhone kaha double kar lo to maine kar liya..bas ho gaya vo shot… (I felt a little uncomfortable, so I doubled the saree. He told me to double it, so I did. That was it, the shot was done.) It was a big thing for me. Because coming from a very small place.” She also said that at 16, she did not fully understand how such scenes would be perceived later.
Revisiting the widely discussed breastfeeding sequence, Mandakini clarified that the moment was created entirely through strategic camera angles rather than actual feeding. She explained that she wore a low-cut outfit while holding an infant closely, with precise framing giving the visual impression of a mother nursing her child.
Mandakini revealed that despite persistent pressure from filmmakers to recreate her iconic waterfall sequence following the success of the film, she firmly refused to repeat the scene in subsequent projects.
Emphasising that a scene’s impact depends entirely on a compelling story and the director’s narrative vision, she maintained her stance throughout her career and continued working in cinema without replicating the sequence.
After the success of Ram Teri Ganga Maili, she went on to work with several leading names in the industry, including Mithun Chakraborty and Govinda, and appeared in numerous films during her career. Her filmography also includes Tezaab, which featured actors Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit in the lead roles.
In 2023, Mandakini appeared on The Kapil Sharma Show, alongside actors Varsha Usgaonkar and Sangeeta Bijlani. She shared several anecdotes with Kapil Sharma on the show.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
