Govinda ADMITS attraction for 'doll-like'Neelam, says "hum bawaal machate the, chal raha tha...."

Govinda has never shied away from speaking his heart, and in a recent chat with Siddharth Kannan, he revisited one of the most talked-about chapters of his personal life, his closeness with Neelam Kothari. At a time when gossip columns were buzzing about their alleged affair, Govinda was already married to Sunita. Now, years later, he has addressed those old rumours with surprising honesty.

“She Was Like A Doll”: Govinda On His Attraction

When asked directly about his equation with Neelam, Govinda didn’t dodge the question. Instead, he admitted that he was drawn to her. “Dekhiye hum sab jitne youngsters, jo gaon type ka hote hain, unn sabhi ke liye goriyan bahut achi lagti hain,” he said, adding that attraction towards someone very different from you is natural.

He described Neelam as someone who felt “like a doll” and said her personality left a deep impact on him. Govinda revealed that he would watch her films and whistle in admiration, never imagining that fate would one day cast them together. When that finally happened, he could barely believe it.

Talking about the nature of relationships back then, he reflected,

“Uss time pe… Abhi yeh jaise affairs hote hain, vaise toh hote nahi the. Hum bawaal machate the… Ho gaya, lag raha hai chal raha hai. Pehle vala romance hota tha, voh dekhne maatr ka tha.”

- Govinda

The Sunita Factor And The Rumour Mill

He also credited their chemistry for their professional success, saying their films and songs consistently became hits.

At the time of these whispers, Govinda was already married to Sunita. Their relationship too had seen ups and downs, especially during the peak of his pairing with Neelam. While he didn’t go into extreme detail this time, his candid tone suggested that he acknowledges the emotional complexity of that phase.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time he has spoken fondly about Neelam. In a 1990 interview with Stardust, he had confessed, “We had so many films together… the more I got to know her, the more I liked her… I lost mine.”

The On-Screen Chemistry

Beyond the rumours, Govinda and Neelam were undeniably one of the most loved on-screen pairs of the 80s and early 90s. They starred together in films like Love 86, Ilzaam, Khudgarz, Sindoor, Farz Ki Jung, Billoo Badshah, Taaqatwar and Gharana. Their crackling chemistry and catchy songs made them a favourite among audiences.