Sunita Ahuja reveals her mother burnt her face with a hot tawa after she failed in class 8; says she was already dating Govinda

Sunita Ahuja, wife of actor Govinda, has spoken about some difficult moments from her younger days—growing up with a strict mother, facing harsh punishments, and struggling with studies.

She also shared how her love story with Govinda faced strong family opposition and how she got married at just 18, stepping into a life very different from the one she was used to.

A painful childhood punishment

In a chat with Galatta India, Sunita recalled a painful childhood memory from when she was in Class 8. She revealed that she had failed the year but hid it from her mother, claiming she had passed. At the time, she was already dating Govinda. When her mother discovered the truth, she heated a tawa (pan) and pressed it against Sunita’s cheek as punishment.

Describing her mother as “very strict,” Sunita admitted she had no interest in studying and would often fall asleep as soon as she opened her books.

A rebellious streak

The star wife also recalled a mischievous incident from her childhood involving her older sister. She said that when her sister once tried to make her study—something she absolutely disliked—she reacted by taking a blade and cutting her sister’s thigh. While academics never interested her, Sunita admitted she had a fondness for mathematics, largely because she had “always loved money.”

Secret marriage to Govinda

Sunita and Govinda tied the knot in 1987, but kept their marriage under wraps for the first year, revealing it only after the birth of their daughter, Tina. Her father strongly opposed the union and even skipped the wedding. Speaking to Hauterrfly, Sunita shared, “When I got married to Govinda, he had a big family. I was just 18 at the time, and 19 when Tina was born—so I was still a child myself when I became a mother.”In the same conversation, Tina shared that her mother came from a wealthy Pali Hill background and had a glamorous lifestyle, while her father was still struggling financially in Virar. She described their love story as something straight out of a Bollywood film, with her maternal grandfather strongly opposing the match and refusing to attend the wedding because he disapproved of her father’s career as an aspiring actor.