Thank God some people don’t change. When most actors, irrespective of their box office draw, decided to walk on haughty air, Govinda was grounded as ever at IIFA. He turned up in a pink coat to launch the first look of his forthcoming film Agni Chakra smiling from ear to ear.
“I have been told that I have a huge fan following in the U.S., something I didn’t realise all these years. Since I am going to start my third innings in the industry, I have decided to start from this platform,” says Govinda, who has once again signed eight-nine films. “I am again playing a cop in the film after a long time but there is a strong comic element as well, as people expect it from a Govinda film.” Govinda is trying to revive his banner Mangal Tara Films with the film.
He refuses to spill the beans on the offer made by Mira Nair for her next film Bengali Detective but confirms that he is playing a football coach in Pahlaj Nihalani’s much delayed Avatar . Nihalani has played a crucial role in his career right from his first hit Ilzam and this time, he seems to have managed to make him lose weight. “This is my wife’s contribution. She has put a full stop on the rich food,” Govinda makes the face of a wretched husband.
Talking about the turn of events, Govinda says, “In between, I tried to run my career in a planned fashion but it didn’t work. It has always been the case with me. Either I have a lot of work or no work at all,” says the actor whose big banner films Run Bhola Run and Banda Yeh Bindas Hai are lying in the cans. “Who would have thought that films of Ashtvinayak and Ravi Chopra would not see the light of the day,” laments the actor who was christened as No.1 star after a series of titles with the tag. He holds his brush with politics responsible for the lull in his career. “Film financiers also have political leanings, you know.”
Recently, Varun Dhawan was seen copying him in Main Tera Hero . Ranveer Singh, who is working with him in Kill Dill has described Govinda as a school of acting and even touched his feet at the Award ceremony. “I am grateful that he thinks that my style is worth copying. It has been a trend. When we were young, the media used to say that we try to copy Dilip Kumar. These days, young actors are working extra hard. I mean on their bodies,” he bursts into laughter. “Most of them have grown up in well-to-do families from the industry and so their real life experiences are limited but I find Ranbir and Ranveer really talented,” says Govinda who is playing Ranbir’s step father in Anurag Basu’s Jagga Jasoos . “It is a well-etched out character and could not be seen just as a fatherly stereotype. I am 50 and am a father of a grownup daughter in real life. So I have no issues playing a father as long as the role is substantial.”
With Kill Dil, he is making his debut with Yashraj Films. “When I was on top, I used to sign eight-nine films in one go and Yash Raj being a top banner wanted the actors to concentrate only on its films. So we could not get together.” He is playing the villain in the film, which is again a rarity for the actor better known for his comic timing. “I too was surprised when Shaad Ali offered me the role. I said I will try for a couple of days and if he or I feel that I am not fitting in we will part our ways. Thankfully, we managed to strike a chord.”
Critics have often dubbed him as a one-emotion actor and perhaps that is the reason that though he forced most Hindi film award juries to create a category of best actor in a comic role but failed to graduate to best actor category. “I am made by the words that begin with ma. Be it my mother or the masses. So I don’t care about the critics,” Govinda gets emotional.
