Govinda's wife Sunita Ahuja drops divorce case: 'Whatever happened was not good, but it's in the past'

The marital storm between Govinda and Sunita Ahuja appears to have passed. According to the actor's manager, Shashi Sinha, Sunita has formally withdrawn the divorce petition she filed against her husband, putting an end to weeks of public speculation about the couple's 40-year marriage.

Sinha framed the reversal positively, telling Indian Express, that the two are not separating and that Sunita had acted on emotions she felt in the moment before deciding to reconcile.

He added that Govinda and their children have taken a neutral stance on her decision, describing it simply as someone recognising an error and choosing to come home. He also noted his one regret was how public the dispute had become, though he acknowledged such things happen in relationships.

He said: "Sunita ji has withdrawn the divorce case against Govinda; there is no separation. Whatever she said, she felt that way at the time and has now taken the case back. It is happy news, and I like what she has done. My only regret is that the matter became very public, but these things happen. Govinda ji and the children are neutral about the decision. It is simply a case of someone realising their mistake and returning home, and that is a good thing. I hope God gives everyone such wisdom. Whatever happened was not good, but it is in the past now.”

How the case began

Sunita had approached the Bandra Family Court in early December 2024, invoking provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act that cover cruelty, desertion, and infidelity as her grounds for seeking dissolution of the marriage.

The public feud

Tensions boiled over publicly after Sunita objected to Govinda's closeness with his co-star Komal Rani Swarnkar during promotions for their film Roopa. Speaking to photographers, she suggested her husband was behaving irrationally and questioned why fans who had once criticized her for accusing him of infidelity had gone quiet. She also took aim at the age gap between Govinda and his co-star, arguing he should be more mindful of appearances.

Govinda responded in kind, telling the press that Sunita's public remarks were inappropriate and could set a bad example for young people watching how she conducted herself.

He pointed out that he had supported her ventures in the past, including her participation in a cooking show and her stint on the reality series Lock Upp, and suggested she return the same courtesy instead of undermining his current film project. He also pushed back on the age-related criticism, arguing that veteran actors across the industry have long worked alongside younger co-stars without controversy. He asked her to stop making inflammatory statements on her podcast.

Signs of a patch-up

Interestingly, the couple had already shown signs of reconciling months earlier. When Sunita appeared on and was eliminated from Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa in June, Govinda was there to greet her as she exited. He spoke warmly about weathering a difficult period together, saying, "I believe there was a tough phase."

He added that he remained committed to her and downplayed the public drama as an inevitable part of life in the entertainment industry.