GOVINDA has always had umpteen hits every year, still he has never managed to make it as Number One. Despite the fact that he has had great hits in recent times right from Raja Babu, Khuddar, Dulaara, Aankhen, Coolie No 1, Hero No 1, Saajan Chale Sasuraal, till Deewana Mastana, he has never been recognised as the contender for the top slot.

The fact is, if the man has taken two steps ahead, he has always taken a step backwards due to a flop. That is Govinda's major concern now, as he has started being quite choosy in the selection of films.

Then, there are some producers who complain that he is quite late for his shoots or he has not allotted them his dates. The man also has an uncanny knack of upsetting some of his producers and at the same time bail a lot of films which belong to his friends, free of cost!

If the man is signing films by the dozen and just shooting for six at a time, obviously the producers will be upset.

But he keeps on telling all the scribes that his producers are happy with him.
"I am only doing six films these days and all the six are progressing very smoothly. Now tell me which producer has which problem against me?" he goes on the defensive.

The man has not saved his money at all. He believes in being a spendthrift.
"I love spending for my children and wife. They are now my source of sustenance after my mother. I like to do a lot of things for them."

It can be recalled that Govinda shot into fame with his first film Ilzaam itself. That film made him into a star. But he had also got a lot of ill-repute at that time itself. Does he deny that too?

"I have not got success in an instant. I had to struggle a lot for it. So when I tasted success, I started signing films at random so that I may become financially very secure. Then what happened was that I found myself shooting for five films everyday. As a result of this I could not spend more than two hours at every shoot. So the producers of those films got very angry with me."

Govinda was badly caught in the web.
"I managed to complete all those films, though I suffered heavily due to it. A lot of my films got a thrashing at the box-office and the producers started getting scared of signing me. My graph plummeted down and that made me launch my home production. After Hatya, Radha Ka Sangam also failed to get the cash registers ringing, I was back to square one. I had learnt from my mistakes and decided that the first thing that I would do, is not to make a film again. The second decision which I took was that I will not do all possible films, but would be very choosy in my selection. That is the reason why you find me so fine and composed these days."

But when we met him he hardly was fine and composed, for he was hassled by innumerable producers asking him for dates. And he had hardly given a shot, when another producer would come in to meet him.

It would be better if he would rather spend time and energy on the road ahead. He is working on Bade Miyan, Chote Miyan with Amitabh Bachchan, an experience, he says, which has been exhilarating. He even dubs Bachchan, whom he worked with earlier in Hum, his guru.

"You see, when you act with an actor of Amitji's calibre, the best part is that he can teach you a lot. I look up to him, despite being an actor in my own right too," he talks like a typical Mumbaiwallah.

Since he was groomed in Maharashtrian surroundings, the Maharashtrian touch has been prevalent in his lifestyle and outlook too. That was apparently the reason that when he entered filmdom he transformed his name to Govinda from Govind Ahuja.

"When I started walking, I found myself in the midst of a Maharashtrian background. I found that if one shortens his name, the individuality dies out here. When I entered the film industry, I thought about my name. The name Govinda held a very auspicious thought to the Maharashtrians and hence I decided to make my name so. That is another reason why the masses love my name too."

Dance was his forte, and one must admit, the lad would draw anyone's attention with his foot-tapping entertainment. Can good talent go unnoticed for long?

Soon the lad got the Pahlaj Nihalani venture, Ilzaam wherein he stamped his class through his histrionic ability and dancing skills. He became a man of the masses and has retained that slot till date.

"I love dancing. I knew that I was a good dancer. In the beginning, I would go to various producers and start dancing. It took time for my abilities to be discovered. Slowly, my confidence level too increased. I moved into comedy and also started doing serious roles. I want to be a complete actor, like what Kamal Haasan is. But at the same time, I also want to be like my guru, Rajnikant, who will always remain the man of the masses."

Govinda also attributes that kind of films he does to Marathi filmwallah, Dada Kondke.
"For the publicity of his films in Virar, (when I was young), the people doing the publicity would take a microphone in hand and scream: come get entertained and go back home. I want to do such kind of films, which will entertain the people. Now after films like Deewana Mastana, Saajan Chale Sasuraal, Coolie No 1 and Hero No 1, I know, that I too am a man who is liked by the classes."

That is the reason why he has set his sights on the ultimate in every actor's life.
"I want to win an Oscar and bring it back to my country. That is my ultimate dream."

There are many who feel Govinda is underrated as an actor, a view echoed across the industry but which he does not endorse. He is happy enough with the way things are -- he'd hoped to be a star and has been just that 12 years running.

"I believe in progress and leave the issues of who is more talented to others," he says.

"I have found success the hard way. I don't take it for granted, but I don't delve deep into the philosophy of it too. As long as my body, my limbs are intact, I will work. I rely on God and myself, the rest don't make a difference to my life. Today, I am successful and you are here interviewing me. Tomorrow is another day."

- By N Anandhi