Quite like the ongoing trend, it seems like Neelam Kothari also went back to the 80s – the time when rumour mills would churn buzz about her equation with Govinda. The actor, who worked extensively with Govinda in the 1980s and 1990s, said she did not know he was married when they were rumoured to be romantically involved and only learnt about it later. She was accompanied by her husband Sameer Soni, who also reacted to the rumours.
Neelam talks about her past equation with Govinda
Neelam and Govinda became one of the popular on-screen pairs of their time, working together in films including Khudgarz, Hatya, Ilzam, Love 86, Sindoor, Farz Ki Jung, and Gharana, among others. Their professional camaraderie also fuelled speculation about their personal equation back in the day.
Speaking about the old rumours, Neelam told Times Now, “I was too young. I didn’t know that he was married. I learnt about it later”. She added that her parents wouldn’t have allowed her to get into a relationship. “I was too young, and I had very strict parents. So a relationship was never an option,” she said.
The actor also recalled how closely her family watched over her during the early years of her career. Neelam revealed that a family member would accompany her to film shoots because of her age. “I was always accompanied by a family member because I was very young,” she said, clarifying, “It wasn’t because the industry was a bad place.”
Samir Soni reacts to Govinda-Neelam speculation
Neelam’s husband, actor Samir Soni, also addressed the speculation surrounding his wife’s past. Asked whether he ever felt the need to confront Govinda over the old rumours, Samir dismissed the idea, pointing out that he did not even know Neelam at the time.
“He is a sweetheart of a guy. I’ve never met him. He is so warm”, the Vivah actor said.
When asked, “You didn’t wanna box him at any point?”, Samir replied, “Why? I didn’t even know her at that time. It’s like being childish. Something happened 20 years ago, and I didn’t even know her back then…”
Even when reminded that Govinda still claims he was madly in love with Neelam, she reiterated that her age and strict parents meant that she could not have pursued a relationship. Samir, meanwhile, maintained that he had no reason to dwell on something that happened decades ago, particularly when he was not even certain that anything had actually happened. “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? ,” Samir shared. He added, “He still claims he was madly in love with you.”
Govinda is married to Sunita Ahuja. He was the newsmaker of September for his camaraderie with his Roopa co-star Komal Rani. As for Neelam, she married actor Samir Soni in 2011. They adopted a baby girl, Ahana, in 2013.
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