Filmmaker Rohit Shetty doesn’t think that Govinda, who delivered innumerable blockbusters for over a decade, ever got his due from the film industry. He said that the actor deserved to become a superstar as he, in collaboration with David Dhawan, had served some of the most iconic films of the 90s.
Speaking to Pinkvilla, Rohit Shetty, who is preparing for the release of his film Cirkus, said, “For 10 years that guy (Govinda) gave blockbusters. He and David Dhawan–like Shola Aur Shabnam, Aankhen, Raja Babu, Jodi No 1, Coolie No 1, and Haseena Maan Jaayegi, that was back-to-back. I think he didn’t get his due otherwise he would have been the biggest superstar. Ab social media hai, ek chalti hai toh sab chilate hai. Back-to-back for ten years both (Govinda and David Dhawan) had given hits.”
It had taken Govinda and David Dhawan nearly ten movie collaborations till they cracked the ‘No. 1’ series of films. The actor-director duo found their calling and eventually gave Bollywood a hit series that kicked off with Coolie No. 1 in 1995, following it up with Hero No. 1 in 1997, and more. However, Govinda’s career hit a rough patch and he stayed away from mainstream cinema for several years.
In an earlier interview to Maniesh Paul, Govinda had explained how the tide ‘turned against’ him and addressed the accusations of him being ‘unprofessional and tardy’. “When you’re successful, there are many who’ll try to pull you down,” he had said, adding that his filmography speaks for itself. He said, “When I was at the peak for 14-15 years, when everything was going in my favour, nobody raised these issues… This is the film industry, people change with time, and so do equations.”
Meanwhile, Cirkus, starring Ranveer Singh and Pooja Hegde, will release on December 23.
