Sunita Ahuja questions Govinda’s absence from the Industry: 'Why is a legend like you sitting at home?'

For years, Govinda has faced persistent rumours about his tardiness on film sets, which have affected his public image. However, in a recent interview with Zoom, his wife Sunita Ahuja has now spoken out, defending her husband against these accusations. According to her, the allegations about Govinda being chronically late are simply “baseless gossip” and part of a larger narrative driven by industry politics.

Sunita revealed that despite Govinda’s dedication to his work, there was always negativity surrounding him. “They would spread rumours about Govinda. He would show up for shoots, and people would still talk behind his back,” she shared. She added that his rise from humble beginnings to a megastar had made him a target of jealousy. “There has been a lot of politics against him. Nobody wants to see a man from humble beginnings become a megastar,” she said.

She also pointed out how Govinda’s success was sabotaged behind the scenes. “Why were his movies stopped? Just because he was a superstar? I won’t take names, but there’s a lot of politics in this industry,” Sunita claimed, implying that powerful figures in the industry had a hand in derailing his career.

Further, Sunita reflected on the struggles her children, Tina and Yashvardhan Ahuja, have faced entering the film industry without any godfather to back them up. “Tina has struggled a lot. Neither of our kids has a godfather. Their father won’t pick up the phone to ask for favours. I’ve told them to build their careers on their own,” she explained.

While Sunita acknowledged the challenges, she expressed frustration over Govinda’s current absence from the silver screen. Sunita said, adding that she and their children miss seeing him on-screen.

I always tell Govinda, you are a legend star, aap 90s ke Raaja the. Today’s generation of kids dances on your songs. Why is a legend like you sitting at home? Actors of your age, like Anil Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, and Jackie Shroff, are doing so much work

- Sunita Ahuja

Govinda, for his part, has previously addressed his late arrivals on sets, clarifying that they weren’t due to lack of discipline, but rather part of his creative process. “I didn’t follow the concept of ‘late’ as others define it. I was a follower of Dilip Kumar sahab. I had to set my rhythm and sur-taal before I reached the set,” he had said in an earlier interview with Mukesh Khanna.

Sunita also mentioned that Govinda’s reluctance to adapt to changing times has kept him stuck in the 1990s, a period when his films were major box-office hits. “90s is gone, it’s 2025. People are not watching 90s style films anymore,” she pointed out. She urged him to embrace the evolving industry trends and make wiser choices about the roles he accepts.

“The industry is not showing him the right path. These so-called friends of his, who he helps financially, are not helping him grow,” she added, emphasizing her desire for Govinda to return to the screen and reclaim his rightful place in Bollywood.

Despite the challenges and harsh realities, Sunita remains steadfast in her belief that Govinda’s stardom was earned through sheer talent and determination. “Govinda came from Virar and made it big without any backing. If stardom is in your destiny, no one can stop it—not even without Govinda calling someone on your behalf,” she said.

Govinda's last major film appearance was in Aa Gaya Hero (2017), which marked his comeback but failed to perform at the box office, grossing only about ?1.39 crore, a mere 16% of its ?8.5 crore production budget. His subsequent film, Rangeela Raja (2019), was critically panned and struggled to recover even 1% of its budget. Despite announcing new projects on The Great Indian Kapil Show, none have been officially released as of late 2024. Since 2022, Govinda has not appeared in any films, focusing instead on reality show appearances.