When actresses were dragged into murky controversies

With Radhika Apte's 'nude' MMS being leaked and Telugu starlet Neethu Agarwal's arrest in a sandalwood smuggling case, we look at actresses who found themselves in the midst of controversies

She was as non-descript as her movies until she was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police on Sunday. Telugu starlet Neethu Agarwal (27) is accused of funding a sandalwood smuggling racket — routing money to the bank account of her lover Kondampalli Mastan Vali, who produced films before turning to politics. Vali, too, has been arrested.

Radhika Apte

Neethu apparently met him in February 2013 when he offered her a film role. After her arrest, she has alleged that Vali forced her to finance his business and claims that she had no idea about the money being used for red sanders smuggling.

Neethu Agarwal claims that she had no clue her lover used her money to fund a sandalwood smuggling racket

In Bollywood, too, there have been many cases when starlets found themselves in the midst of a controversy for their involvement in certain projects or relationships. hitlist takes a look...

Mamta Kulkarni was detained in Kenya along with her husband Vicky Goswami for their alleged involvement in drug trafficking

Leaked video
Radhika Apte's nude snapshots recently went viral leaving filmmaker Anurag Kashyap angry and responsible as it was a shot from his short film directed for the international market. The short, which he had been commissioned to helm along with other filmmakers from different parts of the world to form a part of one big film, is yet to be released. The few seconds-long scene required the actress to lift her dress.

Mandakini was linked to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim

Earlier this year, Radhika was caught in another controversy when pictures showing a nude woman clicking selfies in the bathroom were circulated online as her 'leaked photos'. The Badlapur actress had vehemently denied that it was her.

Gangster's moll
Actress Monica Bedi became infamous as gangster Abu Salem's girlfriend. She met Abu in the late '90s during a show in Dubai and their friendship blossomed into love soon after. He then allegedly made calls to Bollywood filmmakers to cast her in their films — like Jodi No 1 (2001) in which she was paired opposite Sanjay Dutt — before they moved to the US. In 2002, the duo was arrested for entering Portugal with forged documents and served a jail sentence. In 2006, Monica was convicted for passport forgery. In November 2010, the Supreme Court upheld her conviction, but reduced the jail term to the period that she had already served. She then decided to start anew on television with reality shows like Bigg Boss and Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa 3.

Mona Singh's alleged nude MMS clip did the rounds in March 2013, just before the release of her then boyfriend Vidyut Jamwal's film. It was made to look like the actor had leaked the video for publicity

All about timing
In March 2013, telly actress Mona Singh's alleged nude MMS clip did the rounds. The shocked celeb denied it was her and lodged a complaint with the cyber police. At that time there was speculation that Mona may have been a victim of a conspiracy. It was alleged that the video was leaked just before the release of her boyfriend-actor Vidyut Jamwal's film Comando (2013). Someone apparently tried to make it look as though Vidyut has done it for publicity.

A leaked MMS of actress Riya Sen and her ex-boyfriend Ashmit Patel showed the pair in a compromising position

Caught in the act
An MMS of actress Riya Sen and her then boyfriend Ashmit Patel showing the pair in a compromising position rocked the industry in 2005. Following this incident, the couple split, although Riya denied that she was the girl in the clip. A commentator claimed that the footage was an orchestrated publicity stunt for their film Silsilay which released the same year.

The don's muse
After taking Bollywood by storm with her bold acts in a few movies in the '90s, Mamta Kulkarni vanished from the scene. In November last year, reports emerged of her detention in Kenya along with her husband and alleged drug kingpin Vicky Goswami. He had earlier been imprisoned in Dubai for drug trafficking and released on the grounds of good conduct.

Mandakini, who created a stir with her bathing scenes in Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), was linked to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. A theory suggested that she had moved to Dubai to be with him, though the actress denied all rumours. Now she runs a centre for Tibetan medicine.

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