Mamta Kulkarni breaks years of quiet: Actor-turned sanyasi visits Panvel shelter where sister lived

NAVI MUMBAI: Former Hindi film actor Mamta Kulkarni (53), who has now turned "a sanyasi", visited the Panvel-based shelter for destitutes, SEAL Ashram, where her elder sister Mithila Kulkarni was kept for a few years until 2023, when she passed away.Thanking founders of the Social and Evangelical Association for Love (SEAL) for taking care of her sister while she was abroad, Kulkarni said their service to the homeless and destitute was selfless. Mithila was mentally unwell when she was admitted to the home, said sources."On seeing how SEAL works, I am really impressed. I was not around when my sister (Mithila) became ill with no one to help her. That's when SEAL reached out and admitted her in their Ashram until she passed away. As I have come back and become a sanyasi, I wanted to visit the place where Mithila spent her last few years," said the former actor, who returned to India after cases against her were found lacking in evidence and dropped.Kulkarni did not want to talk about past controversies. She said: "But I do want to tell the media about work done by social workers such as at SEAL. I will also come for their foundation day on Nov 22 this year."The founder of SEAL, Pastor K M Philip, said: "We often rescue bad homeless cases, where patients have nowhere to go. After Mithila's case was referred to us, we started taking care of her."Another SEAL worker said Mithila and Mamta Kulkarni's father was a senior RTO officer in Mumbai. "However, due to some misfortune, Mithila became helpless, and so we took her into our Panvel shelter." It is gathered that Mithila needed specialized care and treatment."So many mentally unstable people go missing, they wander on the streets, unable to go back home. We have urged govt to work towards this cause and end their suffering," said Philip.