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Govinda revealed he once broke off his engagement with Sunita and nearly married Neelam before choosing duty over love.
Govinda once confessed he nearly married Neelam before reconciling with Sunita.
Govinda, one of Bollywood’s biggest stars of the 1990s, has always been candid about his turbulent love life. His career began in 1986 with Love 86, where he first met Neelam Kothari. The young actor was smitten with her, despite being secretly engaged to Sunita Ahuja at the time.
In a 1990 Stardust interview, Govinda openly confessed, “The more I got to know her, the more I liked her. She was the kind of woman any man would have lost his heart to. I lost mine.” He praised Neelam constantly—to his friends, family, and even to Sunita, often suggesting Sunita should change to be more like Neelam. This caused friction, with Sunita reminding him that he loved her for who she was.
Their relationship was complex from the start. Govinda admitted he began dating Sunita not out of love but as a “calculated move” suggested by his brother to overcome his awkwardness with women before performing on screen. “At that point in time, I met Sunita. I admit my involvement with her was totally calculated, and I paid a heavy price for it,” he revealed. He also admitted to “playing dirty” with Neelam, exploiting their personal friendship for professional benefit, and regretted not disclosing his marital status sooner.
At one point, Govinda tried to end his engagement with Sunita. After an argument in which she mentioned Neelam, Govinda “called it quits” and asked her to leave. He recalled, “I broke off my engagement with her. And had Sunita not called me after five days and coaxed me into it again, I would probably have married Neelam.” His love for Neelam was so deep that he even envisioned marriage.
Ultimately, Govinda chose duty over desire. He married Sunita, acknowledging that his decision stemmed from responsibility rather than passion. “Just because I had fallen in love elsewhere, I couldn’t overlook my commitment towards Sunita,” he said. He also admitted that Neelam likely wouldn’t have married him due to their vastly different backgrounds—she came from privilege, while he was from a modest family in Virar.
Interestingly, Neelam herself has denied any romantic involvement. Speaking in 2024, she said, “Link-ups were part of the whole game. The press wrote whatever they felt. We were scared of the pen’s power back then.”
Though their rumoured romance never materialised, Govinda and Neelam’s on-screen chemistry in films like Love 86, Khudgarz, and Ghar Ka Chiraag remains iconic.
Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, …Read More
Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, … Read More
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