Mumbai: From the young brigade of Bollywood actors like Ranveer Singh, Varun Dhawan and Arjun Kapoor speak highly of Govinda who had remained on top for 14 years after the success of Ilzaam in 1986.
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In his prime, giving a glimpse of what went behind making the star that he was, Govinda once spoke about how he worked consecutive 12 days and nights to do justice to the films he had committed. During his initial days Govinda's name was reportedly linked up with many heroines he was working with. But the actor in a throwback interview had said that he used to slog 18 hours a day and had no intention to deviate from his goal which was to lift the heavy responsibility from the frail shoulders of his ageing mother.
He had acting running in his blood. His father, Arun Kumar Ahuja, was an actor who had starred in nearly 40 films and his mother, Nirmala Devi, too was an actor and a renowned Hindustani classical vocalist of the Patiala Gharana. The Ahuja's had a bungalow in the plush ambience of Mumbai's carter road but things started spiralling down when a film that Govinda's father produced with his hard-earned money tanked at the box office. Consequently, the family had to shift in a 300-sq-foot chawl room in Virar where Chichi was born.
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"I believe, when my father was well-off we lived on Carter Road in Bandra. That’s what my brother and sisters say. Later on, we shifted to Vile Parle when my father’s films began to flop. But when things got really bad we shifted to a chawl in Virar. That’s where I was born and lived all my life," said the actor about his humble beginnings in an interview.
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The sole reason for his longing to get that coveted one chance was that he wanted to put an end to his mother's struggle with raising six children keeping hers and family's dignity intact. He once in an interview had said that his stardom was born out of angst, feeling helplessly watch his mother struggle. He so quickly wanted to change things for his family that when he got the chance, driven by impetuous passion Govinda left no stone unturned to provide his mother most of the comforts and luxuries of life.
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But before that, he was busy prepping and grooming himself for the acting career. Govinda joined Roshan Taneja acting school, fight classes and enrolled himself into Saroj Khan's dance school. In those days he made his showreel thinking that doing the rounds of producers’ offices and meeting people won't help as heroes in late 80s were either muscled man or westernised star sons. He was hesitant to show his showreel to his maternal uncle Anand who was making a film for which he required a macho personality but when he watched Govinda's showreel he changed his subject and casting. That is how he got Tan-Badan. Though Love 86 was his debut release it was Tan-Badan produced and directed by Anand that he signed first as a lead actor.
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In two years, he had worked with most seniors to the contemporary leading ladies of his times with filmmakers queuing up for his dates. Not bothered by the criticism, Govinda stuck to his strengths -- earthy comedy and dance. The actor, who was once dismissed as too downmarket, went on to become the country's Entertainer No. 1.
Though acting career always kept him toes, Govinda has maintained that failures never affected him as he followed the wisdom his mother once imparted on him when he was upset with something in his professional life. "In a population of 100 crores, there are hardly 100 heroes and you should be thankful that you are one of them," were the words his mother that taught to always count blessings than to take them for granted.
