'Not true': Neelam addresses '90s romance rumors with Govinda
What's the story
Bollywood actors Govinda and Neelam Kothari's on-screen chemistry in the 1980s and the 1990s often sparked rumors of a romantic relationship. While Govinda has admitted to being attracted to Kothari, she has now dismissed these claims. Speaking on the Usha Kakade Productions podcast, Kothari said, "Govinda ji is a good human being, but this question is not true."
Media speculation
'Link-ups were part of the whole game'
Kothari further added, "I think link-ups were part of the whole game. There was no one to clarify. They just printed whatever they felt like. There's nothing between us." "If you did more than 2-3 films together, it was just understood that...you two must be together." Govinda, meanwhile, has openly spoken about his admiration for Kothari in interviews. He previously told Stardust, "She was the kind of woman any man would have lost his heart to. I lost mine."
Career and personal lives
On-screen pairings, off-screen marriages
Govinda and Kothari were one of Bollywood's most popular on-screen pairs in the 1980s and early 1990s, starring together in over a dozen films. Their collaborations included hits like Love 86 and Ilzaam (1986), Khudgarz and Sindoor (1987), and several 1989 releases such as Farz Ki Jung, Billoo Badshah, Taaqatwar, and Gharana. Both actors have since settled down: Govinda with Sunita Ahuja (two children) and Kothari with actor Samir Soni (one adopted daughter).