- Neelam Kothari says she was too young and didn’t know Govinda was married at the time.
- She says her strict parents always accompanied her to film shoots.
- Neelam’s husband Samir Soni says he sees no reason to dwell on decades-old rumours
Neelam Kothari has finally addressed rumours surrounding her equation with Govinda. The two yesteryear superstars worked together in several films during the 1980s and early 1990s, and the chatter about their relationship has continued over the years.
During an interview with Times Now, Neelam looked back at her career and shared how young she was during that phase of her life. “I was too young. I didn't know that he was married. I learnt about it later,” Neelam shared, adding 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.
Neelam also recalled having a family member accompany her during 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.”
Neelam's husband, Samir Soni, also reacted to the speculation and shared he had no reason to dwell on something from decades ago when he did not even know whether 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? He still claims he was madly in love with you,” Samir shared.
Neelam further revealed that she was pampered on film sets and her fellow actors treated her like a child. Samir added that Jackie Shroff and Sanjay Dutt were particularly “protective” of her.
Neelam and Govinda worked together extensively and became a popular on-screen pairing. Some of their films include Khudgarz, Hatya, Ilzam, Love 86, Sindoor, Farz Ki Jung, and Gharana, among others.
Neelam eventually stepped away from acting and moved into jewellery designing. Years later, she returned to the spotlight through the Netflix series Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. Alongside Neelam, the series also featured Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Pandey, and Seema Sajdeh.
Also Read | Govinda Admits Being 'Attracted' To Neelam Kothari During The 90s