‘Govinda washed his mother’s feet, drank the same water’: Nephew says he went to the actor with film offers, but he refused | Bollywood News
3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Feb 18, 2026 08:17 PM IST
Once celebrated as the undisputed heartthrob of the 1990s, Govinda ruled Hindi cinema with his superb comic timing, flamboyant screen presence, and effortless dance moves. At the height of his career, he was indeed a cultural phenomenon. Today, however, the actor remains in the spotlight for very different reasons. Instead of box office triumphs, headlines increasingly focus on his dramatic professional decline, reports of personal turmoil, and a growing rift within his family, particularly speculation surrounding his marriage to his wife, Sunita Ahuja.
Amid these conversations, Govinda’s nephew, Vinay Anand, has spoken about the influence his uncle has had on his life. Speaking on the Hindi Rush podcast, Vinay reflected on Govinda’s towering impact: “I have been deeply inspired by Govinda throughout my life. And not just me, when he became number one, the entire country was inspired by him. There wasn’t a single superstar who wasn’t copying him or dancing like him. Even those who didn’t know how to dance started dancing because of him. I saw him at home too. When it was my grandmother’s birthday and he came over, he washed her feet in a ceremonial plate and then drank that very water.”
Vinay also admitted that despite being close to Govinda, he has often felt helpless watching opportunities slip away. “I often get troubled myself. I’ve taken many film offers to him, he didn’t do them. I’ve taken many event offers, he doesn’t accept them. He has his reasons. There is a 14-year age gap between us, and he has always been like a father figure to me. Although he is my maternal uncle, I have never questioned him out of respect, never asked ‘why?’”
He continued: “Whatever he says, I simply respond, ‘Okay, sir.’ Even today, I have been the hero of 70 films and am a superstar in one region. I have fame, respect, everything, but even today, in front of him, I remain respectful. I am the same person I was in childhood.”
Previously, in the same conversation, Vinay also turned to the rumours surrounding Govinda’s alleged affair and the public remarks made by Sunita Ahuja. Vinay admitted he was initially hesitant to interfere: “I wanted to ask Govinda about this, but I didn’t want him to feel that I was interfering in his personal matters. He is my uncle, and I share a father-like relationship with him.”
However, he eventually confronted him directly. “But I asked him once, do you have an affair with someone? He told me, ‘No, there is nothing like that.’ When Govinda denied it, I accepted it. But when I see my aunt’s interviews, I feel a little strange because we have always seen her respecting Govinda.”
