I Can't Remember David Dhawan's Face

Friendships and Fridays go hand in hand in showbiz... Govinda gets candid with Suman Sharma.

- Suman Sharma

Life seems to have come full circle for Govinda. More than three decades ago, the young sensation had begun his career with Pahlaj Nihalani’s film Ilzam (1986). Recently, his Rangeela Raja with Nihalani, which had him in a retro avatar, released. For long, it had been mired in controversy. Reportedly, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had refused to certify it and ordered cuts, which included certain gestures and double-meaning jokes in the film. Nihalani, a former CBFC chief, alleged that there was a conspiracy behind this resistance and also in the film not getting enough screens.

Govinda vouches that the film was a clean entertainer. It had him play a double role along with actors Shakti Kapoor and Digangana Suryavanshi. “It has been made keeping in mind the taste of the audience. It’s always an outstanding experience working with Pahlaj,” says the actor who has collaborated with the filmmaker for hits like Shola aur Shabnam (1992) and Aankhen (1993) in the past.

His last film FryDay, directed by Abhishek Dogra, did poor business. The actor alleges that enough screens were not given to it as well and hints at a plot to sabotage his films. “The industry is in the hands of three to four people and they run it according to their whims. Getting a theatre to release a film has become an issue. Even Eid, Diwali, Christmas… is taken over by stars,” he says. Yet the ex-Congressman is nonchalant about the manipulations as he dubs them. “I’ve been in politics. So, I’m not surprised. What matters is that I work with good human beings and not whether they are big shots,” he explains.

During the ‘90s, Govinda gave nearly 15 hits with director David Dhawan.