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Please send your opinions, feedbacks, articles to shshenoy at yahoo.com  His heroines love him, his directors swear by him; his fans can’t get enough of him. He was once and still is the Pied Piper who lures thousands of starry - eyed youngsters to Bombay each year in the hope that they too could hit the jackpot.
Armed with no recommendations, blessed by no godfather, linked to no filmi family, Govinda has pulled through solely on the strength of his enormous self - confidence. Anyone else would have given up after being humiliated and getting kicked out of innumerable producers' offices. But Govinda persisted, carrying a video showcasing his talents from door to door. He was not only successful in films, but made a foray into politics too! At his peak Govinda donned different hats as an actor. From a bumbling buffoon to a stern cop to a smart advocate. Last year Govinda entered a different stage - politics that requires pretty much the same skills - action, drama, and emotion! He defeated Union Petroleum Minister Ram Naik, the formidable veteran who had won the election from this constituency five times in a row, to become a Congress MP. For Chi Chi, as he is known in the Bollywood circles, politics may not have been a great choice! But he’s still going strong….. Govinda is back after a lull of nearly four years. The transformation from the dancer to the performer finally to the entertainer was a calculated one, earning him the tag of a complete actor. Now, with his newfound love for discipline, he may just catch the eye of professional filmmakers who have thus far shied away from the errant star. In Mysore to shoot for "Chal Chalaa Chal", (directed by Rajeev Kumar) Govinda shares his thoughts on politics, his image and his future plans with our correspondent. How does it feel coming back after a gap of nearly 4 years?
Good! Very good! What happened? Why the hiatus?
I was plain tired! After almost 126 films and the TV show Chappad Phaad ke, I thought I really needed some rest. So I decided I would take off for about a year…. But the holiday was much longer..
Yes! When I said one year, I didn’t realize it would be so long a break. 4 years was not what I was looking for actually…. Did you miss the arc lights and everything connected to it?
Very much! When you are sitting without any work, your whole routine changes… You are thrown out of gear….So I am back again to where I belong. Your daughter Narmada too has decided to take a plunge into films just about the same time…You think it’s good timing?
I’m very happy for her. She had this terrible accident a year ago and was completely shattered. When she was wheeled out of the operation theatre she asked me “Papa will I be a burden to you”! That’s when I assured her that she will recover completely and quickly enough to come into films. And she has miraculously recovered in such a short time and I am happy for her. Of course, she needs some kind of experience before she steps in… She will be assisting Rakesh Roshanji in direction.. Let’s see how things take shape… You are fondly called "Virar Ka Chokra" and take pride in your humble beginnings… It’s always nice to talk about your poverty after you’ve succeeded ..
Look! I have never got into these complexes okay…I did live in a chawl, a typical normal middle class family background and have no hesitation in accepting it…But, there was no dearth of richness when it came to art, culture and happiness! My mother Nirmala Devi was a classical singer and we always had well known singers coming home and even people from films... The money I earned through films has definitely made me “rich” financially… Otherwise I never ever thought I was "poor"! 
What has films done to you?
A lot…Money does matter and I’m not denying it at all….God has been very kind and He probably wanted me here. I’ve been lucky enough to do almost all kinds of roles. The switch to comedy was a conscious effort?
I told you. Somewhere in the race of doing all films that came my way, I was getting tired. All that action, emotion et al. After I did "Shola Aur Shabnam", which was more of a comedy, my directors told me that I could try more of comedy as a "relief measure". I had heard that even Dilip Saab, did a couple of comic roles when he was tired of doing serious ones. So I gave it a shot and it clicked…I loved it too. But making people laugh is a serious business?
Of course it is! It is very difficult to look stupid! But when I am doing it I’m also thoroughly enjoying it, so the stress factor is not there… Why is it that Govinda has always been an actor of the "masses" and never tried to be an actor of the "classes"?
The songs from my films, the so called films for the "masses" as you people dub it, are played at and enjoyed at the best of Clubs and in Class social circles! Who said they the "Classes" don’t enjoy it? I’m happy doing what I’m doing and that’s what matters. Millions of people who identify with me are happy.. So who’s complaining? But then awards are hard to come by?
May be! The Jury watch my films but feel there’s only fiction, buffoonery and not much related to real life to actually give me an award! I’m not debating that fact. Nowadays it’s difficult for the kids to sit with the parents for an hour. If my movies can make all of them sit together for 3 hours and laugh together, isn’t that an award by itself? Can you confidently say that you have also been giving what the people want, as an MP?
Politics was never my cup of tea. My seniors in the film world and in politics urged me take a jump, as they felt I understood people much better and could do well…. But the public doesn’t seem to think so? They feel you were more approachable as an actor than an MP?
True! And I’ll explain why! There are so many things that people come up with to you when you are a politician. But I firmly believe in tackling what can and should be solved first. So I take up those few things that can be done and concentrate on that only… It’s then people feel that I am ignoring their pleas and am not approachable and all that… But where were you when people needed you during the Bombay floods?
Very much there! I have been living in that area for the past 20 years and every year the floods cause as much havoc… So what was new that year? I did do what I should have done as an MP, but my reaction was what irked many… It’s hard to digest the truth you see… So you just state facts and let the people suffer...Is it?
I’m not saying that… Let’s do something instead of simply issuing statements… The drinking water problem in my constituency has completely been solved as also the problems of water clogging… And let me tell you local politics in Mumbai is bigger than everything… So you think you are a good actor as a politician or a good politician as an actor?
My forte is acting, I am a good human being and as for politics, you don’t need to be clever... You learn along the way.. As an actor you have the capability of understanding what’s coming next, so you are that much prepared in politics. Have you at any time felt you should have come in now, when there’s so much of opportunity and technical brilliance in films?
A lot has changed and improved in movie making... Technically I think we are way ahead and almost equal to the West... As for opportunities, I had my fair share. What actually bothers me is that today’s movies are turning out to be too costly for the cine goer. What exactly do you mean?
The prices of movie tickets are so high, that it is difficult for a common man to take his full family out to the theatres and also somewhere the nativity is being lost…. You mean movies are being made predominantly for the urban audience?
Yes… 70% of them… Even the heroines… When you ask them to speak a line, they say they can think like a creature from any other space but not like a villager, as they don’t know how that is…. Its here may be we should strike a balance and make films that the rural dwellers can identify with. Because they form 70 per cent of our population… What do you propose to do about the ticket costs?
I will take this up in the parliament session... Government thinks Cinema is a small industry… But they also should know that it is the one with the largest impact… So may be the government can step in to arrange shows at a lesser cost… You’ll hear more about that when I speak in the Session. But do you think films really make an impact? In spite of all the moral lessons doled out, communal hatred, greed and all other vices are still very much around..
You might not be able to see it.. But yes, films have made an impact and will continue to do so. It’s films actually that have made the world into a small global village... All I am saying is bring in more nativities into our films. So you want to remain the Desi Asli ghee that you were when you came in?
Not completely. But I definitely don’t want to lose out completely on that flavour… Tell us why you chose to wear the kind of garish clothes that you were so famous for?
Do you remember Charlie Chaplin for his clothes or for his acting? Clothes are a part of you; they are not all about you…. There are lakhs of people out there who can buy only two pairs of clothes every year and when they do, they want very bright clothes that bring them out of their daily drudgery…. So if wore those kind of Jhatang clothes and the poor man on the street loved it because he too has a pair like that, I’m actually making someone happy…. I have no qualms whatsoever about it at all. So you don’t want to anything different?
Of course yes! I’m doing a film with Aparna Sen and Nikhil Advani. Have you seen any of the recent actors do a Jhataka like you did?
May be they haven’t got songs like I did! What do you have to say to your critics, who always seem to be writing you off?
Thanks! Please criticize me constructively so I can improve…. And even if it’s not that way thanks again for keeping me in the news!! How do we see Govinda in the next 5 years?
A new person, changed for the better. A person who has done something for the industry. Given a new meaning to entertainment, 30 years from now I want people to buy Govinda’s DVDs and use them as stress busters. That’ll be great. And by the way. Mysore is great! Good weather and very good roads!! Finally… how do you like Mysore?
I have been here before and I love it. I am not just saying it because I am talking to you Mysoreans but if you come from a city like Mumbai, Mysore is like heaven. Even Bangalore does not come close to Mysore in terms of the roads, traffic and the beautiful weather. Nandini Srinivasan and Vikram Muthanna
Courtesy: Star of Mysore Click here to go to the main page of People.
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