Aamir Khan has long been known as Bollywood’s “Mr Perfectionist”, but veteran actor Shagufta Ali believes Govinda deserves even greater recognition for his dedication to craft. Reflecting on their time together while filming ‘Hero No. 1′, Shagufta revealed that Govinda would rehearse scenes repeatedly, sometimes as many as 25 times, and continue asking for retakes until he was completely satisfied, regardless of how tiring the process became for his co-stars.
‘Hero No. 1’ felt like a paid vacation for Shagufta Ali
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Shagufta fondly remembered the atmosphere on the sets of ‘Hero No. 1’, describing the shoot as an enjoyable experience for the entire cast.“We used to have great fun whether Govinda or Karisma were on the set or not. We were on a paid picnic. The outdoor shoot in Ooty was great. We had stayed at Mithun Da’s hotel. When he got to know about it, he came to meet us and treated us to seafood he personally cooked.”
Govinda would rehearse a scene up to 25 times
Shagufta acknowledged that Govinda’s habit of arriving late on set was well known, but she also stressed that his dedication to perfecting every scene was unmatched.“Govinda used to come late on set here too. If the shift were 9 am, he would come by 1 or 2 pm, and never before that. This was the only issue with Govinda; otherwise he was a very nice person. I have done 3-4 films with him. He is a very nice person, fun-loving. He does 25 rehearsals. Govinda is a bigger perfectionist than Aamir Khan. David sir would okay the take, but he would still insist and also apologise to others. His eye for perfection was so strong that he didn’t care if the person opposite him was tired.“According to Shagufta, even after director David Dhawan approved a shot, Govinda would request another take if he felt he could improve his performance.
Kader Khan was upset over the delays
The veteran actor also recalled that Govinda’s late arrivals often frustrated the cast and crew. She revealed that legendary actor Kader Khan would become upset whenever the actor reported to the set hours after the scheduled call time. Shagufta added that while many members of the team were irritated by the delays, they had little option but to wait for Govinda to begin filming each day.
Govinda’s golden run in Bollywood
Govinda emerged as one of Hindi cinema’s biggest stars during the 1990s, earning immense popularity for his comic timing, effortless dancing and entertaining screen presence. His memorable performances in films such as ‘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 most bankable entertainers.Although ‘Partner’ marked a successful comeback in 2007, the actor was unable to maintain the momentum in the years that followed. Govinda was last seen in ‘Rangeela Raja’, where he played a double role, but the film failed to make an impact at the box office. Since then, he has largely stayed away from the silver screen.
