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Govinda recalls suicidal thoughts after entering Narmada River following mothers death: I thought I would meet my mother again

Govinda has opened up about one of the most difficult periods of his life, recalling the intense grief he experienced following the death of his mother, Nirmala Devi, in 1996. In a recent conversation with ANI, the actor revealed that he once entered the Narmada River while believing that he would be able to meet his mother again. Speaking about the period after his mothers demise, Govinda said he was in tremendous emotional pain and felt that his life had come to an end. I was in a lot of pain. I was in tremendous pain. At that point, I felt that everything was over; that was it, he said. Nirmala Devi, a Hindustani classical vocalist and actress, died on June 15, 1996, at the age of 69. Govinda has often spoken about his close relationship with his mother and the influence she had on his life. Recalling what happened at the Narmada River, Govinda said, So, I was at the Narmada River, I thought I would go a little farther into the river and that I would meet my mother again. So, I went into the river. When asked if the incident was an attempt to end his life, Govinda responded, Kind of. I was deeply attached to my mother. I was too much in love with her. He added that he did not view the incident only through the terminology commonly associated with suicide. Thats what the world calls it. People use suicide type of words. We don't really have anything like that. Life never ends. It takes on new faces; It takes on new forms, he said. Govinda recalled that a sadhu, whom he remembers as Ram Kundal, approached him and helped him leave the river. He called out to me and came toward me. I came out of the river and he asked What happened, Govind? he said. The actor said the incident eventually made him reconsider his life and responsibilities. I realised, actually someone said to me this at that time that I was doing something wrong... And I learned a lesson, I realised that I have to live for my children, he said. Govinda said it took him around 10 to 15 days to come out of that state of mind. He eventually realised there was something else in this world that he needed to experience and decided to move forward. The actor also reflected on how his mothers death changed his perspective on films, acting and stardom. Films are just like toys for me. I shouldn't say this; I am saying it out of fear of God. Forgive me if I shouldn't be saying this, and if I am offending anyone... But I believe that films, acting, stardom, heroism, all of it, is a manifestation of God. Whatever we have received, we have received from God, and we are simply acting in it. We have seen all of this, and we were able to experience it. For Govinda, however, fulfilling his mothers dreams remains his biggest achievement. But the real achievement for me was that I could serve my family and my mother. I could fulfil all the wishes she had imagined for me, what she had thought my son Govinda would achieve when he turned 21. That was her dream. And I was able to fulfil it. I saw true heroism in that part of my life. That is a very different way of looking at things, he said. On the work front, Govinda is currently promoting his upcoming film Roopa, which also stars Komal Rani Swarnkar. The film marks his comeback after several years. He was last seen in Rangeela Raja in 2019 and later appeared in the 2022 documentary Naam Tha Kanhaiyalal. Also Read : EXCLUSIVE: Adnan Sami reveals Amitabh Bachchan, Govinda, Rani Mukerji, Raveena Tandon and others featured in his music videos for FREE: Not one of them charged a penny