Amid Neelam Kothari's clarification regarding the 90s' affair rumours with Govinda, her revelation regarding her reason for divorce resurfaced.
Veteran Bollywood actor, Govinda and his alleged affairs have been a topic of discussion for years. The speculations intensified following public comments of Govinda's wife, Sunita Ahuja, blaming the actor for ruining their family with his extramarital affairs. Among the Coolie No. 1 star's speculated girlfriends, his most popular link-up was with Neelam Kothari back in the 90s. The rumours are still discussed even after decades have passed. Recently, the actress broke the silence on the issue, and amid that, fans revisited her painful divorce. Here's what Neelam said about her failed first marriage.
In a candid revelation on the Netflix series, Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives, Neelam Kothari shared deeply personal details about her 2000 marriage to UK-based businessman, Rishi Sethia and why it eventually ended. Neelam stated that after moving abroad, she was pressured to change her name, adopt a strictly traditional Indian wardrobe, and give up alcohol and non-vegetarian food. She felt as if her entire being was being snatched away from her. Sharing that she was not fine with the clauses, Neelam said:
"I was told to wear Indian clothes, give up non-veg, and don't drink. I was fine with everything. Changing my name also, according to me, people do that, but changing my identity, that is something I was not okay with."
Neelam recalled a particularly painful period where she felt forced to deny her celebrity status. When people in public asked if she was "Neelam the actress," she felt she had to say "No," which left her with a profound sense of losing her identity. The Hum Saath - Saath Hain actress must have felt happy that she was getting recognised for her work even in a foreign land. However, being unable to cherish that feeling broke Neelam's heart. The actress eventually chose to leave the toxic marriage and return to India. She has been happily married to actor Samir Soni since 2011.
Neelam became emotional describing the moment her adopted daughter, Ahana, discovered her divorce by reading about it online. Ahana confronted her after Googling her name with friends and finding information about her divorce in the top search results. Neelam described it as a "heartbreaking" way for Ahana to find out about her past. Neelam was "stumped" and had "no words" to say to her daughter. Recalling how Ahana and her friends didn't jump around or behave like themselves after learning of her divorce, Neelam broke down in tears.
In January 2026, Neelam Kothari firmly refuted long-standing rumours of a romantic affair with her former co-star, Govinda. While appearing on a podcast by Usha Kakade Productions, she praised Govinda, calling him a "wonderful human" and asserted that she never had an affair with the superstar. Sharing her respect towards him, Neelam mentioned:
"O teri, who said this? Govinda ji bahut hi acchhe insaan hain, magar yeh jo sawaal hai, yeh sach nahi hai. He is a wonderful human being, and we have done several hit films. But this is not true. Sorry, sorry, but this isn't true at all. There's nothing between us."
Neelam attributed the speculations to the media culture of that era, stating that if two actors appeared in more than 2-3 films together, it was automatically assumed they were dating. She further noted that in the pre-social media era, actors were often "scared of the press" and had no platform to clarify these stories. She said:
"I think link-ups were part of the whole game. There was no one to clarify. They just printed whatever they felt like, and to be honest, I feel like in those days we were scared of the press. Because it was the power of the pen, and it was just part of it. If you did more than 2–3 films, it was just understood that…[you two must be together]."
What are your thoughts on Neelam Kothari's confessions regarding her past marriage and link-up? Let us know.
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