Meet actress who worked in over 40 films in 11 years, was linked to Underworld don, Mithun Chakraborty, quit acting after marriage, is now..., her name is..

Raj Kapoor's films have always made a lasting impact on both the audiences and at the box office. Raj Kapoor is also credited with introducing Bollywood to some of the most beautiful actresses through his films. After Dimple Kapadia in Bobby, Raj Kapoor, in 1985, gave the world Mandakini via his film Ram Teri Ganga Maili, which is considered to be one of the best films of his career. Ram Teri Ganga Maili not only created havoc at the box office, but it also introduced the world to the beauty and grace of former actress Mandakini, who became an overnight star after the film's release. 

Born in Meerut as Yasmeen Joseph, Mandakini was discovered by Raj Kapoor at the young age of 16. She was also given her screen name, Mandakini, by him. Mandakini made her Bollywood debut with the 1985 movie Ram Teri Ganga Maili opposite Raj Kapoor's youngest son, Rajiv Kapoor. The film became a blockbuster upon its release and made Mandakini a superstar. 

Mandakini especially went viral among audiences for her partially nude scenes in two sequences of the film. Mandakini achieved such stardom at a young age that many struggle for years to achieve. During this time, her name was also associated with Mithun Chakraborty. Mandakini went on to work in several films such as Dance Dance with Mithun Chakraborty, Kahan Hai Kanoon with Aditya Pancholi, and Pyaar Karke Dekho with Govinda. Sadly, she could never recreate the success that Ram Teri Ganga Maili brought her. After working in over 40 films in just 11 years in the film industry, Mandakini quit acting. Her last release was the 1996 film Zordaar.

One of Mandakini's most controversial eras began in the early 1990s when she was linked to gangster Dawood Ibrahim, but she vehemently denied rumours of an affair with him. 

Mandakini eventually married a former Buddhist monk, Dr Kagyur T. Rinpoche Thakur, and embraced Buddhism. The couple has a son named Rabbil and a daughter Rabze Innaya. 
 
After her marriage, Mandakini embraced Buddhism. She is a follower of the Dalai Lama and now runs classes in Tibetan yoga and her husband runs a Tibetan Herbal Centre.

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