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Govinda was still establishing himself in the film industry when he started going out with his now-wife, Sunita. They kept their relationship a secret, even from co-stars. It was during this time that Govinda also fell in love with his frequent co-star Neelam. Govinda was so enchanted by Neelam that he would often ask Sunita to be more like her. Sunita would take offence to this suggestion. In an earlier interview, Govinda looked back at this chapter of his life and said that he was “merciless” with his wife. Govinda and Neelam were seen in films like Ilzaam, Farz Ki Jun, Love 86, amongst many others.
In a 1990 interview with Stardust, Govinda said, “I couldn’t stop praising her (Neelam). To my friends, to my family. Even to Sunita, to whom I was committed. I would tell Sunita to change herself and become like Neelam. I would tell her to learn from her. I was merciless. Sunita would get irritated. She would tell me, ‘You fell in love with me because of what I am, don’t ever try to change me’. But I was so confused. I didn’t know what to own.”
In the same interview, Govinda described Neelam as the “kind of woman any man would have lost his heart to,” and “I lost mine.” But by this time, Sunita and Govinda were already in a relationship. He also confessed that he “never meant to get so seriously involved with Sunita. was looking for a girl to go around with.” The actor admitted that he had to perform a romantic scene on-screen but was quite uncomfortable with the idea of it, so his brother suggested that he should go out with someone to “get some experience of romance.”
Govinda then shared, “At that point in time, I met Sunita. I admit that my involvement with her was a totally calculated move on my part. And I paid a heavy price for it.” He added that by the time he met Neelam, he had already made a commitment to Sunita and the “harm was done.”
Govinda and Sunita have now been married for 35 years and are parents to a son and a daughter. Neelam married actor Samir Soni 13 years ago and they are parents to a daughter. Neelam was previously married to Rishi Sethia.
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