Is Govind Namdev, 70, dating actress Shivangi Verma, 30?
Rumours first started when Shivangi posted this picture on Instagram in December 2024, and captioned it, 'Pyaar knows no age, no limits.'
She added a heart emoji.
Namdev clarified with a post, four days later, saying, 'This is not real life love but reel life love.'
He explained further: 'The picture in circulation was nothing but a publicity stunt for an upcoming movie Gaurishankar Goharganj Wale.'
Gaurishankar Goharganj Wale tells the story of a 70-year-old man falling in love with a 30-year-old woman.
Recently, Namdev clarified further, in an interview with ETimes: 'I agreed to the photo shoot because it was necessary for publicity of the movie. We had spoken to the producer and director of the movie before the photo shoot.'
'Shivangi insisted that we should have a romantic pairing, that the images needed to convey a certain kind of chemistry between us. I agreed but also asked what kind of content she had in mind. She said, "There's a lot. Content matters most." I thought fine, let's do it.'
But he was upset when Shivangi posted the picture with an heart emoji without informing him.
'That's where the misunderstanding started. People began speculating about us and frankly, I didn't appreciate it. That's why I stopped talking to her. I don't want to get involved in unnecessary drama,' Namdev said.
'People had begun feeling sorry for me. Not just the audience but friends and family too. So as a responsible actor, I felt I should speak up. That's why I posted my side of story initially (in December 2024), to set the record straight.'
It reached a point when his marriage to wife Sudha was reportedly under strain.
'There were rumours that my household was affected and me and my wife were considering living separately. I didn't react then, and I don't react now. I'm not here to prove anything to anyone,' Namdev asserts.