The latest gossip to hit tinsel town is one alleging a relationship between actor-MP Govinda and everyone's favorite girl next door Rani Mukherjee.

Both have healthy family images to uphold. And this liaison would most certainly tarnish their reputation. But the question is, is it true?

"It's certainly true," says a leading actress. "The two have been seeing one another for several years now. In between they tried to keep away from each other for the sake of his wife and children.

"But recently they were again spotted together on sporadic occasions. And though both of them have been linked with other people, their relationship is certainly for keeps."

A very practical problem that can arise from such a relationship is, can the two get together as a formal couple?

Earlier, producer Boney Kapoor broke his marriage with childhood sweetheart Mona to marry Sridevi. Boney and Sridevi now share a very happy and successful marriage.

Friends of Govinda and Rani say they can also make marriage work if it happens.

Says an actress: "Both Govinda and Rani are very simple, basic people. Give them daal-chawal, and a gossip session with friends...and they're happy. They're very like minded. They get along famously."

As with Boney Kapoor, there are children involved in this tricky transition. Like Boney, Govinda has two children - a son and a daughter.

But it seems improbable that Govinda will take away a father's presence from his children's life.

Govinda knows what it's like to grow up without a father's presence in the house. His mother whom he worships brought up Govinda and his siblings single-handedly. It's unlikely that Govinda would want his wife to go through his mother's struggle.

That Rani and Govinda are serious about each other is corroborated by mutual friends of the couple. But will they tie the knot? Or will they remain a couple for life who never to legitimize their relationship, like Uttam Kumar and Supriya Devi, and Shobhana Samarth and Motilal in Mumbai?

Neither Govinda nor Rani will speak on the matter. Govinda claims it's a conspiracy by his political opponents to tarnish his image during election time.

Rani has been on a world concert tour with Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal, Priyanka Chopra and Saif Ali Khan for the past one month.