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'Didn’t know he was married’: Neelam Kothari breaks silence on romance rumours with Govinda

Neelam Kothari addressed rumours of a romance with Govinda in the '80s, claiming she was unaware of his marriage at the time.

Updated on: Sep 14, 2026, 12:13:49 IST
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Bollywood actor Neelam Kothari has broken her silence on the long-standing rumours about her alleged romance with Govinda during the 1980s and early 1990s. During a recent interaction, Neelam admitted that she was unaware that Govinda was married when they worked together in films.

‘I didn't know Govinda was married’

Neelam Kothari addressed romance rumours with Govinda.
Neelam Kothari addressed romance rumours with Govinda.

During an interview with Times Now, Neelam shared that she was too young when she starred opposite Govinda and that her strict parents would never have allowed her to pursue a relationship.

She said, “I was too young. I didn't know that he was married. I learnt about it later. I was too young, and I had very strict parents. So a relationship was never an option. I was always accompanied by a family member because I was very young. It wasn't because the industry was a bad place.”

Not just Neelam, her husband and actor Samir Soni also reacted to the rumours and admitted that he remained unbothered by them. “Something that may or may not have happened 20 years ago – I don't know about it. So how can I hold on to it? He still claims he was madly in love with you,” Samir shared.

When Govinda broke off his engagement with Sunita Ahuja as he wanted to marry Neelam

He had said, “We met so often and the more I got to know Neelam, the more I liked her. She was the kind of woman any man would have lost his heart to. I lost mine. I couldn’t stop praising her. To my friends, to my family. Even to Sunita, to whom I was committed."

The actor acknowledged that he compared the two women and even broke off his engagement with Sunita. “I would tell Sunita to change herself and become like Neelam. I would tell her to learn from her. I was merciless. I asked Sunita to leave me. I broke off my engagement with her. Had Sunita not called me after five days and coaxed me into it again, I would probably have married Neelam. I wanted to marry her. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that."

For the unversed, Neelam's comment comes at a time when Govinda and Sunita have reportedly hit a rough patch in their relationship and have openly criticised each other in public.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vibha Maru

Vibha Maru is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Entertainment, based in Delhi. With a decade of experience across digital and print media, she covers Bollywood, Hollywood and web shows. A self-confessed cinephile who breathes Hindi cinema, Vibha can often be found sacrificing sleep after binge-watching films and web series. Though she holds a Commerce degree, she discovered her true calling in journalism after enrolling at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). She began her career covering Delhi's cultural scene, food, nightlife, concerts, and city life at The Times of India, before moving into full-time entertainment journalism with India Today. At India Today, Vibha interviewed some of the biggest names in Bollywood and television while carving a niche for herself through film reviews, opinion pieces, nostalgic features, celebrity interviews, and trend-driven stories. She later brought her storytelling and editorial expertise to The Indian Express, where she continued to deepen her understanding of cinema through long-form entertainment explainers, retrospectives and feature writing. Now, as Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times Entertainment, Vibha continues to chronicle the world of movies and pop culture. Her work spans breaking entertainment news, exclusive interviews, celebrity features, and stories that capture the conversations shaping Indian cinema.

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