'I respect him immensely': Govinda apologizes for wife Sunita Ahuja’s remarks on family priest

Bollywood actor Govinda has issued a public apology for his wife Sunita Ahuja's remarks on their family’s long-time priest, Pandit Mukesh Shukla. The controversy sparked after Sunita appeared on a podcast and opened up about her opinion on religious rituals. Many considered her comments to be disrespectful toward the well-known astrologer.

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Govinda issues a public apology

On November 4, the veteran actor released a video addressing the issue and apologising for Sunita's remarks, "I have been consulting Pandit Mukesh Shukla for years, and I respect him immensely. His father has also been our family’s pandit. My wife made disparaging remarks against him on the podcast, and I condemn them. My deepest apologies," Govinda said.

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The actor further added, “Pandit Mukesh ji and his family have been with me in tough times, and I respect him a lot.”

What was the controversy?

It all started when Sunita appeared on former Bigg Boss 13 fame Paras Chhabra’s podcast. In a candid conversation, she spoke about Govinda’s dependence on pandits.

When the host mentioned that not every priest has the right intentions, Sunita replied, "We also have one in our house, Govinda’s pandit. He is also like this, only gets pujas done, charges Rs 2 lakhs. I tell him, you should pray on your own, unka karaaya hua puja paath kuch kaam nahi aane wala hai."

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She further added, "God will accept the prayers that you do on your own. I don’t believe in all this. Even if I donate or do any good deed, I do it with my own hands for my karma. Darne wala darr jaata hai."

Sunita also went on to talk about her husband's inner circle, stating, "The circle he sits in has foolish writers who are less writers and more fools. They make him a fool and give terrible advice. They don’t like me because I speak the truth."

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Netizens trolled Sunita for her blunt comment, and the followers of Pandit Shukla took to social media to criticize her remarks.

Govinda’s career front

The duo tied the knot in 1987 and have often been in the spotlight due to speculation about trouble in their marriage. Govinda is reportedly busy with his three upcoming films, Len Den: It’s All About Business, Bayan Haath Ka Khel, and Pinky Darling.