In a revelation that's as damning as it is tragic, veteran filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani has alleged that Govinda—once Bollywood’s most bankable star—was deliberately pushed out of the industry following his 2007 comeback in Partner. The film, a roaring box-office success starring Salman Khan alongside Govinda, was expected to relaunch the latter’s career. Instead, it marked the beginning of his systematic exclusion from big-ticket Bollywood. And according to Nihalani, Salman’s silence—or worse, complicity—played a crucial role.

Speaking to Pinkvilla, Nihalani minced no words: “After Partner, everything went against him.” Despite delivering a standout performance, Govinda was offered no substantial roles after the film. Projects collapsed, including one with Priyanka Chopra, and the actor was mysteriously cold-shouldered by the very industry he had once carried on his shoulders. Nihalani’s cryptic line, “He was stabbed in the back many times,” isn’t just an indictment of the system—it also points toward those who stood by and watched.

At the centre of this betrayal narrative is Salman Khan. While he has built a brand around "Being Human", insiders have long whispered about his influence in shaping (or ending) careers. In Govinda’s case, Khan offered the Partner platform but reportedly did little thereafter to support his co-star. For someone with Salman’s clout, was it too difficult to get Govinda more work—or was he simply unwilling? In an industry driven by camps, silence often speaks louder than sabotage.

Nihalani also rebuffed the long-standing myth of Govinda’s unprofessionalism. “He used to come and go back on time… He has shot for me at 6 am,” he said, debunking rumours likely spread to justify sidelining the actor. These whispers, according to Nihalani, were tools used by insiders to paint Govinda as unreliable, effectively cutting him off from opportunities.

The fall of Govinda isn’t just about fading stardom—it’s about betrayal, manipulation, and an industry that turns on its own. And in this plot, even a superstar like Salman Khan doesn’t come out looking clean.