Govinda accuses Karan Johar for making a film on his alleged infidelity with Sunita Ahuja

Dubai: Bollywood veteran Govinda has broken his silence on a controversy that has been simmering for years, and he's not holding back.

The beloved actor, known for his iconic roles in films such as Hero No. 1, Coolie No. 1 and Raja Babu, has publicly called out filmmaker Karan Johar over the 2022 film Govinda Naam Mera. According to Govinda, the film was based on his personal life, specifically the alleged troubles in his marriage to wife Sunita Ahuja.

Speaking to ANI, Govinda said, "Someone made a movie about me, maybe it was Govinda Mera Naam. I think it was made by Karan Johar."

For those unfamiliar with the film, Govinda Naam Mera is a romantic comedy produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and directed by Shashank Khaitan. It stars Vicky Kaushal as Govind Waghmare, a Bollywood backup dancer nicknamed Govinda, who is stuck in a troubled marriage whilst secretly in a relationship with another woman played by Kiara Advani. His wife, played by Bhumi Pednekar, refuses to grant him a divorce unless he returns a significant sum of money.

The film was released directly on JioHotstar rather than in cinemas.

Govinda believes the film deliberately mirrors his own personal life, particularly the allegations of marital troubles and infidelity that have surrounded him in recent years. He feels his name and personal circumstances were used without his consent, and he's made it clear he isn't happy about it.

"Jokes don't look good every time everywhere," he said pointedly, adding a plea with folded hands for people to stop interfering in his personal life.

The most eyebrow-raising part of Govinda's comments came when he made a rather colourful promise about what would happen if he ever crossed paths with the people behind the film.

"I promise if we ever cross paths, I'll give them the Rajinikanth treatment in public," he declared, whilst simultaneously insisting "no misbehaving please."

The remark has naturally set social media alight, with fans and observers debating exactly what the 'Rajinikanth treatment' might involve. Coming from a man famous for his energetic screen presence, the mental image of the Govinda beating up like the Tamil actor alone has been enough to keep the internet entertained for days.

The controversy doesn't exist in a vacuum. Govinda's marriage to Sunita Ahuja has been making headlines for months, largely due to Sunita's candid comments across various interviews and podcasts.

In a recent interview with Miss Malini, Sunita made pointed allegations of infidelity against her husband. "My kids are grown up now," she said. "I have always said that they get disturbed." She went on to suggest that younger women seeking careers in Bollywood actively look for wealthy and influential men to support them financially. "The girls who come today to struggle, they need a sugar daddy to pick up their expenses. They don't have a good face but want to be heroines. So they entice men and blackmail them," she said bluntly.

Govinda, for his part, has denied the allegations and suggested that his family has been caught up in a larger conspiracy orchestrated by outside forces. "A friend of mine had told me that there has been a conspiracy against you for a very long time," he told ANI, adding that he had stayed silent for over 15 years believing it was simply bad luck before concluding that something more deliberate was at play.

Amidst all the personal drama, Govinda also took a moment to speak warmly about his son Yashvardhan Ahuja's ambitions in Bollywood. He expressed enormous confidence in his son's abilities, saying "Yash will become a better actor than me. He is technically stronger than me."

He also revealed that producer Sajid Nadiadwala has given Yashvardhan a cabin at his office to help him learn different aspects of filmmaking, something Govinda said happened at his personal request.

Karan Johar has not publicly responded to Govinda's comments at the time of writing. Given the colourful nature of the accusations and the very public way in which they've been made, it seems unlikely this story will fade quietly.

For now, Bollywood fans are watching closely to see whether the two ever do cross paths, and what exactly that Rajinikanth treatment might look like when it arrives.

Areeba Hashmi is a trainee at Gulf News.