Who Was Govinda's Mother, Nirmala Devi? A Famous 1940s Actress And Hindustani Classical Vocalist
Govinda's mother, Nirmala Devi, who passed away at 69, was a famous 1940s actress and a Hindustani classical vocalist.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleBollywood’s 'Hero No. 1', Govinda, is dominating the headlines for all his personal life. In a recent interview, Govinda opened up about one of the toughest phases of his life. The Coolie No. 1 actor shared about the emotional turmoil he went through after his mother, Nirmala Devi’s death. But did you know she was a famous actress in the 1940s? Yes, you read it right.
Meet Govinda's mother, Nirmala Devi
Nirmala Devi was born on June 7, 1927, in Varanasi, then known as Banaras, Uttar Pradesh. She was an actress, known for Gaali, Chalis Karod, and Savera. Besides being an actress, she was a Hindustani classical vocalist. At the age of 15, Nirmala accompanied her father to record her first album with the premier music company of that time, His Master’s Voice (HMV). She got married to Arun Kumar Ahuja in 1942. The couple welcomed six children. Bollywood’s famous actor, Govinda, is the youngest of six children. Nirmala took her last breath on June 15, 1996.
Govinda opens up about his mental state after his mother, Nirmala Devi's death
In a recent interview with ANI, Govinda opened up about the intense emotional pain that he experienced after his mother, Nirmala Devi’s death. He revealed that he once entered the Narmada River with the hope that he would 'meet' her again. He was extremely close to his mother, and after she died in 1996, he was in 'tremendous pain.' Recalling the difficult phase, Govinda said:
"I was in a lot of pain. I was in tremendous pain. At that point, I felt that everything was over; that was it. So, I was at the Narmada River, I thought I would go a little farther into the river and that I would meet my mother again. So, I went into the river."
Govinda mentioned that it was kind of suicide. Due to his attachment, Govinda felt immense pain after his mother passed away. However, he explained that the world might call it suicide, but it was not. He would call it a transformation where something changed forever within him. He recalled how a sadhu healed him after the following incident. In his words:
"Kind of. I was deeply attached to my mother. I was too much in love with her. That's what the world calls it. People use suicide type of words. We don't really have anything like that. Life never ends. It takes on new faces; It takes on new forms. He called out to me and came toward me. I came out of the river, and he asked, 'What happened, Govind?' I realised, actually, someone said to me at that time that I was doing something wrong. And I learned a lesson; I realised that I have to live for my children."
Further in the same interview, Govinda shared that his biggest achievement was to fulfil his mother’s dreams. He highlighted that everything around him changed after his mother, Nirmala’s death. In fact, his perspective on films and stardom completely changed. In his words:
"I believe that films, acting, stardom, heroism, all of it, is a manifestation of God. Whatever we have received, we have received from God, and we are simply acting in it. We have seen all of this, and we were able to experience it. But the real achievement for me was that I could serve my family and my mother. I could fulfil all the wishes she had imagined for me, what she had thought my son Govinda would achieve when he turned 21. That was her dream. And I was able to fulfil it. I saw true heroism in that part of my life. That is a very different way of looking at things."
What are your thoughts on Govinda and his mother, Nirmala Devi's bond? Let us know.
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