Aamir Khan has been known as Bollywood’s “Mr Perfectionist”, but veteran actor Shagufta Ali believes Govinda deserves more credit for his dedication to the arts. Reflecting on their time together while filming ‘Hero No. 1′, Shagufta revealed that Govinda rehearses scenes over and over again, sometimes up to 25 times, and keeps asking for repetitions until he is completely satisfied, no matter how tiring the task is for his co-stars.
‘No hero. 1’ served as paid leave for Shagufta Ali
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Shagufta fondly recalled the atmosphere on the sets of ‘Hero No.“We had a lot of fun whether Govinda or Karisma were in the group or not. We were on a paid picnic. Outdoor shooting in Ooty was good. We stayed at Mithun Da hotel. When he found out about this, he came to meet us and gave us seafood that he cooked himself.”
Govinda practices up to 25 events
Shagufta admitted that Govinda’s tendency to arrive late to schedule was well known, but emphasized that his dedication to getting things done was unmatched.“Govinda used to come late on the set here too. If the change was 9 am, he comes at 1 or 2 in the afternoon, and he never started earlier. This was the only issue with Govinda; maybe he was a very good person. I have done 3-4 films with him. He is a very good person, fun-loving. He does 25 rehearsals. Govinda better take David Arager if he was older than he would have been older. He still insists and apologizes to others his eye for perfection was so strong that she didn’t care if her opponent was tired.“According to Shagufta, even if skipper David Dhawan agrees to shoot, Govinda may also ask to take someone else if he feels he can change his style.
Kader Khan was frustrated by the delay
The former player also recalled that Govinda’s late arrival often frustrated the players and the staff. He revealed that popular actor Kader Khan gets angry every time the actor speaks after hours of his singing. Shagufta added that while many members of the team were upset about the delay, they have no choice but to wait for Govinda to start filming every day.
Govinda’s golden run in Bollywood
Govinda became one of the most popular actors in Hindi cinema in the 1990s, gaining popularity for his sense of humor, effortless dancing and presence in entertaining shows. His memorable performances in films like ‘Raja Babu’, ‘Coolie No. 1’, ‘Hero no. 1’, ‘Saajan Chale Sasural’, ‘Dulhe Raja’, ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’, ‘Haseena Maan Jaayegi’ and ‘Partner’ cemented his place as one of Bollywood’s biggest entertainers.Although “Partner” became popular in 2007, the actor was unable to maintain his influence in the following years. Govinda was last seen in ‘Rangeela Raja’, in which he played two roles, but the film failed to gain traction at the box office. Since then, he stayed away from the silver screen.