3 minutes of readingNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 31, 2026 06:16 pm IST
actors Govinda and Neelam Kothari’s on-screen romance in films like Ilzaam and Love 86 (1986) soon gave rise to rumors of their relationship in real life. While Govinda admitted to being deeply attracted to Neelam once in an interview, he has never dismissed the speculations several times, calling it simply gossip created by the media. Now, during a recent conversation with Usha Kakade Productions on a podcast, Neelam addressed her rumored relationship with Govinda in the 90s and denied them once again.
When the host asked about the gossip about her crush on Govinda, before marrying her husband Sameer Soni, she reacted with surprise and replied, “Oh teri, who said this? Govinda ji bahut hi acchhe insaan hain, magar yeh jo sawaal hai, yeh sach nahi hai (Govinda is a good human being, but this question is not true).”
The Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives star continued: “He is a wonderful human being and we have done several successful films. But this is not true. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but this is not true at all. There is nothing between us.” During an interview with Hauterfly in 2024, Neelam was asked about the rumors of her relationship with Govinda, when she said: “That wasn’t it… I think the links were part of the whole game. There was no one to clarify.”
The 56-year-old further added, “They just printed what they wanted and to be honest, I feel like in those days we were afraid of the press. Because it was the power of the pen, and it was just a part of it. If you made more than 2 or 3 films, it was understood that… (you two should be together).” Govinda and Neelam Kothari appeared together in many other films including Khudgarz and Ghar Ka Chiraag.
What Govinda said about Neelam Kothari
Earlier, in a 1990 interview with Stardust, Govinda admitted that after working in a few films together, he became friends with Neelam and soon fell in love with her. “We made so many movies together. We saw each other very often and the more I got to know her, the more I liked her. She was the kind of woman that any man would have lost his heart to. I lost mine.”
The attraction went up a notch when he even broke off his engagement with his current wife, Sunita Ahuja. The actor further added, “I asked Sunita to leave me. I broke off my engagement with her. And if Sunita hadn’t called me after five days and convinced me to do it again, I probably would have married Neelam. I wanted to marry her. And I don’t think there is anything wrong with that.”
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Govinda married Sunita Ahuja in 1987, when he was 24 and she was 18. The duo has two children: daughter Tina and son Yashvardhan. Lately, their relationship has been in the spotlight after Sunita alleged Govinda’s extramarital affair with a young woman. On the other hand, Neelam Kothari married businessman Rishi Sethia in 2000, but they divorced soon after. After a brief relationship with actor Samir Soni, she married him in 2011. They adopted a daughter named Ahana in 2013.