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Sunita Ahuja Urges Govinda To Move On From The '90s: ‘Look At What's Working Now'
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Sunita Ahuja blames Govinda's career downfall on his inner circle, calling them sycophants who only flatter and don't tell him the truth.
Govinda, once the unstoppable force of 1990s Bollywood — a man whose mere presence on a poster promised laughter, dance, and box office gold — has faded into near-obscurity over the past decade. While his legacy as a king of comedy remains untouched, his cinematic relevance hasn't just dwindled — it's all but vanished.
The actor hasn't had a notable release since 2019's Rangeela Raja, a film that barely made a ripple before sinking without a trace. And now, Govinda's long-standing absence from the spotlight is being addressed — not by a filmmaker or critic, but by someone who's watched the decline unfold from closest quarters: his wife, Sunita Ahuja.
Speaking candidly in an interview with The Powerful Humans, Sunita didn't mince her words as she offered a scathing assessment of the people currently surrounding her husband — a circle she bluntly called 'the wrong one."
'Why has Govinda not been seen in 17 years?" she posed rhetorically. 'The problem is that his circle is the wrong one. It's a wrong circle. Today, my fights with him are because I can't lie, and I do not appreciate flattery."
According to Sunita, the inner circle — consisting of a writer, a musician, a secretary, and a lawyer — is more interested in keeping Govinda wrapped in nostalgia than in helping him evolve. 'They are of no use," she said. 'They only say 'wah, wah!' If he makes music, they say 'wah, wah… kalam kar diya.' They should tell him the truth. When I tell him the truth, he gets upset."
Her frustration isn't just directed at the entourage — it's also rooted in Govinda's refusal to adapt. Sunita revealed that the actor continues to chase the same formulas that once made him a superstar in the '90s — unaware that the industry, and its audiences, have long since moved on.
'I tell him the '90s era is over. It is 2025. Look at what's working on Netflix and digital platforms," she said. 'But he stays with his 'wah, wah' production. I told him, change your circle. For as long as you have these 4–5 people, they won't let you go forward."
Sunita's comments come as a wake-up call, not only to Govinda but perhaps to others in the industry who've struggled to transition out of their glory years. Despite his string of iconic hits — Coolie No. 1, Hero No. 1, Dulhe Raja, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, and many more — Govinda's career began losing steam in the early 2000s. A brief resurgence followed with roles in films like Partner (2007), but it was short-lived. By the 2010s, his screen appearances became increasingly rare, his brand of cinema no longer in sync with changing tastes.
First Published:
June 08, 2025, 18:15 IST
