'Nothing can keep you down except yourself. If you give up, it’s the end of you. I performed to the best of my abilities. The rest is destiny,' says Govinda in an exclusive interview to Eshita Bhargava
He bopped into stardom with dollops of slapstick and lipstick in the ‘90s, and then become a parliamentarian. At 57, his swagger and smile are firmly in place. The dance moves may have slowed a bit. Govinda is back in the reckoning with Indian Pro Music League, a TV reality show. He has much to tell…excerpts from an interview to Eshita Bhargava.
Act One, Scene One: We are from Gujranwala and my father, Arun, was a successful actor. Mehboob Khan Sahab launched him as a hero in Aurat in 1940. We had a bungalow on Carter Road in Mumbai. But my dad suffered heavy losses after producing a film. We sold the property and the family [Govinda has four sisters and an elder brother] moved to Virar. The loss took a toll on my dad’s health. When my mother was expecting me, she began living a sadhu’s life. That alienated me from my father and he wouldn’t take me in his lap for a year after I was born as he thought it was because of me that his wife became a sadhu. Over time, he accepted me as people told him that his second son is a khoobsurat baby, a good boy. He encouraged me to become an actor when my mom wanted me take a regular job in a bank. I would visit Rajshri Productions for work. I went to an acting institute where Roshan Tanejaji and Saroj Khanji taught me for free. Learnt fight stunts too. And I became a hero at 21.
Day One On The Sets: It was for an ad. I was nervous and motivating myself internally…give your best shot.
Trademark Dance Steps: I wasn’t a natural dancer. Watched John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever and started to learn dancing. I was committed and they must have thought a new enthusiast is here and wants to passionately immerse in the art. I tried to keep that spirit intact.
Dance-Comedy Stereotype: I did many serious films at a young age and got tired. Characters influenced me and my work. Dilip Kumar said an interview that a doctor suggested him comedy films for good health. I did Intezaar with him. I understood that your work shows in your personality. I did comedy and enjoyed my work. The image has stuck. But I’m happy with this image.
The OTT Platforms: It has made watching movies convenient and across a wider segment. Anybody with a mobile phone and internet connection can watch a movie anywhere. OTT is the new normal in the pandemic. I believe theatres and OTTs will co-exist.
Role PLay: There is no SOP for preparing for a role. Every role has something new. Creativity is as perplexing to us as it was to the ancients. No fixed formula. Hard work is the key, beginning with the script and imbibing the character. Yes, as I mentioned earlier, I believe the characters we essay on screen affect an actor on all levels.
Call It A Day: No, never. I had humble beginnings. Nothing can keep you down except yourself. If you give up, it’s the end of you. I performed to the best of my abilities. The rest is destiny.
Recharge Batteries: I never felt the need. The love of the audience is like a solar panel for me, energising me every day. I pray and meditate daily. Meditation is food for the soul. And spirituality is a legacy I inherited from my mother.
The Music League: The IPML’s format is new in the Indian entertainment industry and is bigger than all shows that came before. I am proud to be leading Team Bengal Tigers with my wife, Sunita, and daughter Tina. The show can change the Indian music industry’s dynamics. I am a supporter of Indie music, sang some songs and released them last year.
The Next Govinda: He will be someone who works as hard as I did.