Govinda paid his last respects to his former secretary, Shashi Prabhu, on Wednesday (March 5). Shashi Prabhu was reportedly suffering from heart issues and had recently undergone bypass surgery.
In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), Govinda was seen visibly emotional at the funeral of his former secretary. The actor wiped away tears and stood in support of Shashi Prabhu's family.
Soon after Shashi Prabhu's death, Govinda's present secretary Shashi Sinha started receiving condolence messages. The fake news of his death spread quickly because he shared his first name with Shashi Prabhu.
Speaking to the news agency IANS, Shashi Sinha confirmed, “I have been receiving numerous condolence messages and calls on my phone since the false news of my death circulated. Since I share the same name as Govinda's old friend and former secretary Shashi Prabhu, the confusion led to this false news. Shashi Prabhu was his secretary at the time of Ilzaam, after that, I have been looking after this work.”
Shashi Sinha, in a conversation with ETimes, shed light on Govinda's equation with his former secretary and “childhood friend”. He said, “From the very beginning, they shared a close bond, and for many years, he also worked for Govinda. I got to know him later. But during Govinda's early struggles, he was like a brother to him. Govinda loved him like a brother, and their relationship remains the same to this day."
On the personal front, Govinda and his wife Sunita Ahuja's divorce rumours recently became the talk of the town. The speculations started after Sunita, in an interaction with Hindi Rush, shared that she and Govinda mostly stay separately.
Sunita Ahuja, however, broke her silence on the matter. Read all about it here.
Govinda and Sunita Ahuja got married in March 1987. The couple welcomed their daughter Tina in 1988. They became proud parents to their son Yashvardhan in 1997.