Govinda is a well-recognised actor in the industry who made his debut in the ’80s and thrived in the ’90s. He entertained the masses with his precise comic timing, impeccable dance moves, versatile acting and impressive screen presence where scripts were written for him, and he worked in back-to-back hits. But the superstar who was a household name in the ’90s gradually faded away and his films failed to create the same magic in the audience. He made several attempts, but none worked. In addition, rumours about his late arrival on sets and bad attitude distanced good filmmakers from him. The actor always replied to questions about these things in his usual funny manner, but in a recent interview, his wife, Sunita Ahuja, shared her take on it.
Sunita Ahuja Govinda was a victim of ‘Bollywood politics’
Sunita Ahuja recently sat down for an interview with Zoom and shared her views on Govinda’s faded stardom. When asked about the rumours about Govinda arriving several hours late at the set of his films, Sunita shared it wasn’t the reality. Instead, some people purposely shared these rumours about her husband, and he became a victim of the Hindi film industry’s politics. She added that the industry doesn’t want people from humble backgrounds to succeed. In her words:
“They would spread rumours about Govinda. He would go to the set, and people would talk behind his back. Govinda ke sath politics toh hua hai bahut. No one wants to see a poor guy become famous and successful. So many of his films have been stopped from being released. But why? Because he was a superstar, and I won’t take any name, but there is a lot of politics in the film industry.”
Sunita added that Govinda was a victim of the insider-outsider game because many people couldn’t accept him making his identity in the industry. Consequently, it has impacted her approach with her kids, Tina and Yashvardan, who intend to work in showbiz. Sunita revealed that she has made it clear to her kids that they shouldn’t expect their father to make calls and get them to work. Unlike other star kids, she explained that her kids are self-made as her daughter struggled a lot, and her son will make his debut without any godfather or support from their father. Sharing how Govinda worked hard to make a mark for himself, Sunita said:
“Govinda also didn’t have a godfather. He came alone from Virar and became a star. I tell my kids no one can stop them from becoming a star if it is written in their destiny, even if Govinda doesn’t call anyone asking for favours. No one is standing with Govinda from the film industry but he did become successful.”
Govinda admitted he used to be late on film sets
In contrast to Sunita Ahuja’s claims, Govinda earlier sat down for an interaction with Mukesh Khanna on his YouTube. During his conversation, the Coolie No.1 actor admitted that he used to arrive late on the sets of his films because he had his unique way of working. Sharing the cause for his delay, Govinda said:
“I never used to arrive on time on set. I was a follower of Dilip Kumar sahab. I didn’t believe in being late and all. I used to first set my rhythms right. Jab tak mere sur taal nahi set ho jaaye, main set pe nahi pahuchta tha.”
Govinda’s career so far
Govinda made his debut in Bollywood in 1986 with the film, Ilzaam. It was a commercial success and marked the beginning of his successful career in Bollywood. In the late ’80s and ’90s, Govinda’s dance style, drama and comedy impressed fans in films like Shola Aur Shabnam, Raja Babu, Coolie No. 1, Hero No. 1, and Dulhe Raja. The actor had many successful collaboration with director, David Dhawan. Later in the 2000s, he witnessed a decline in his career, and despite a memorable comeback in Partner, the actor couldn’t find his old stardom.
What do you think about Sunita Ahuja’s revelations on Govinda being a target of ‘Bollywood Politics’?
Next Read: The Diplomat’ Is Based On Real-Life Story Of Uzma Ahmed: How Factually Correct Or Farcical Is It?