Govinda has this reputation of coming late on the set and many of his co-stars and producers have often spoken about it. After he became a huge star, the ‘Coolie No 1’ star would often come late on the set and make everyone wait. Many of his peers say that the fact that Govinda wasn’t punctual was one of the reasons for his downfall, despite him achieving stardom.
In a recent interview, Govinda’s nephew Vinay Anand has spoken about this and recalled an incident from the actor’s struggling days. Talking about he industry, he said during a chat with Bollywood Thikana, “The problem with the film industry is such that no one says anything as long as the movies are working. But if a couple of films flop, then people start making rubbish claims.” He added, “Haathi ban gaya aadmi toh haathi ki chaal hi chalega na (If someone has become big, they will have their unique way of doing things)”
He said that nobody except Akshay Kumar comes to set on time. He said that Govinda might have his reasons for coming late. “Except for Akshay Kumar, all these other stars come in as per their comfort. They discuss with their director and come comfortably,” he said and continued that Govinda might have had some reasons behind his late arrival. “You never know, he might have made a few mistakes, someone might have felt bad,” he said.
Recalling an incident, he shared, “When he was just starting off, one of his producers, I don’t want to name him… Govinda was travelling from Virar and was late. There was another hero in the film who was from a renowned family. That producer punished Govinda by making him stand outside in the rain. That’s how the producer expressed his anger. I think that hurt Govinda.”
Producer Vashu Bhagnani had once spoken about how Govinda was missing from the set when they went to shoot in Switzerland for ‘Hero No 1’. He revealed that Govinda made an entire unit of 75 people wait there in Switzerland. “I called him and asked, ‘If you are not going to come, then we will come back.’ He got upset and said I am coming. He landed at 6 am. I went to pick him up at the airport. He sat in the van and we were not talking to each other for 10-15 minutes. Then he says ‘I want to shave’ and I wondered where we would find a place that’s open at 6 am. I took him to the petrol pump. We got a basic razor for one euro or something. In the bathroom at the petrol pump, he shaved quickly. At 7:30, he gave the first shot. It was the number 1 song of the film. He finished 70 per cent of the song in one day. He wasn’t there for three days but he finished 70 per cent of it in one day. That’s worth appreciating,” said Vashu during a chat with the Youtube channel Reviewron.
