Shagufta Ali opens up about Govinda-Karisma Kapoor’s equation during filming Hero No 1, says Sunita Ahuja never created a scene.
Published: July 27, 2026, 9:31 PM IST
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Karisma Kapoor and Govinda in Hero No. 1 (PC-YouTube)
Veteran actor Shagufta Ali has recently opened up about the long-standing rumours surrounding Govinda and Karisma Kapoor’s off-screen equation. Looking back at the time they worked together on Hero No 1, Shagufta said their closeness was noticeable and also praised Govinda’s wife, Sunita Ahuja, for maintaining her composure throughout.
Shagufta Ali on Govinda-Karisma Kapoor affair rumours
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan on his YouTube channel, Shagufta was asked if she had noticed any special bond between Govinda and Karisma during the shoot of the David Dhawan film. Responding to the question, she said, “Dikhta toh tha (It was visible). He never came to tell me that, but it looked like there was. As long as their on-screen pairing lasted, the public watched them. Later, people got bored of seeing him with only one heroine. The audience probably felt there was an overdose.”
Shagufta also recalled that Sunita Ahuja rarely visited the film sets. According to her, Sunita came only once during an outdoor schedule along with their children. “Sunita never came on set. She came on an outdoor shoot once with their children. She hardly visited. She spoke to everyone with love and respect, behaved very well, and never created a scene,” Shagufta said.
Shagufta Ali praises Sunita Ahuja for staying calm
Praising Sunita’s calm nature, the veteran actor said that if she was aware of the rumours, she handled the situation with remarkable grace. Shagufta added that many people in her place could have reacted differently, but Sunita remained understanding and dignified.
Her comments come shortly after Sunita Ahuja spoke about Govinda’s alleged affairs during her appearance on Netflix’s Lock Upp. In previous interviews too, Sunita had admitted that rumours about actors’ relationships are common in the film industry.
Govinda and Karisma Kapoor were among Bollywood’s most successful on-screen pairs during the 1990s. They delivered several hit films together, including Hero No 1, Coolie No 1, Raja Babu, Saajan Chale Sasural and Haseena Maan Jaayegi. Their frequent collaborations fuelled dating rumours for years, although neither Govinda nor Karisma ever publicly addressed the speculation.
Karisma Kapoor was last seen in the ZEE5 series Brown.
