Cinema VinesVeteran Bollywood actress Mandakini, best known for her role in the 1985 hit Ram Teri Ganga Maili, opened up in a recent interview with ANI about the early days of the Hindi film industry and the informal atmosphere that prevailed on sets. She recalled a time when actors, directors and crew members shared meals, mingled freely, and worked together in a “homely” environment that she described as warm and personal.
When asked about the working conditions of that era compared to today, Mandakini highlighted the lack of rigid protocols. “Everyone used to eat together, and there was no such thing as asking someone before meeting an actor. Everyone used to sit together, and anyone could go to anyone’s room,” she said. She added that contracts were often simple, with filmmakers merely asking an actor to sign on, and payment arrangements were settled afterward.
Mandakini admitted that she occasionally accepted roles without charging a fee, especially when a director or colleague requested her for a short stint. “They used to request you to do a 15‑day work, and I used to say, ‘Okay, no problem,’” she explained. While she eventually received payment for most of her work, she revealed that there were 16 to 17 films for which she never received any money.
She explained that the unpaid projects were often due to incomplete or unreleased films, or cases where the final payment was never cleared. “There was a divide between the three films. So, one film was released, and the last two were not released. Or the last payment was not released,” she said. The actress noted that such situations were not uncommon in the industry’s earlier days, where informal agreements sometimes led to financial disputes.
Mandakini’s candid remarks shed light on the challenges faced by actors in the past, when the film industry operated on trust and informal contracts. Her story underscores the importance of clear agreements and timely payments, lessons that remain relevant for today’s filmmakers and performers alike.
