Govinda on allegations of unprofessionalism, entire film industry turning against him: ‘People want to pull you down’

Recalling his heyday, he told Maniesh in Hindi, “I didn’t enter the film industry, the industry came to me. I was 21 and I’d signed 75 films. I remember the great Dilip sahab came to me and told me, ‘Govind, drop 25 of them.’ I told him that I’d already spent the signing amount, but he said that God will ensure that I earn the money back, but that I must return it now. And he was right, I was falling ill, I was in and out of hospitals working four-five shifts a day. I once didn’t sleep for 16 days…”

Maniesh told him that because of his stardom, many directors and producers also became stars. So does it feel bad when they accused him of being unprofessional and tardy? Govinda said that these rumours weren’t started by the producers, who worked with him repeatedly. “When you’re successful, there are many who’ll try to pull you down,” he said, adding that his prolific filmography speaks for itself. He said, “When I was at the peak for 14-15 years, when everything was going in my favour, nobody raised these issues… This is the film industry, people change with time, and so do equations.”

Asked when he realised that the tide was turning against him, Govinda said, “I was at the top for 14 years, there was no planning. But when I realised that people were turning against me, I couldn’t do anything about it. People who grow up with astrology, numerology, vastu shastra… They don’t pay attention to these puny people. It’s too small a factor to look at. Mountains crumble too.”

Govinda said that he’s seen this happen to other ‘mahaan’ people too, and that this is God’s way of reminding you of your situation. “I don’t react to all this, I’m an actor, not a reactor,” he concluded.