Govinda’s comic timing is iconic and still amongst the best in Bollywood. Even back in the day, he was known for improvising his dialogues on set without losing the essence of it. The Coolie No. 1 actor says that his knack for languages helped in bringing out the best in him.

Speaking to BT, the Hero No. 1 actor, explained, “I love languages and your comfort with them only adds to the fun element. I live in Mumbai, so I am thrilled when someone talks to me in Marathi. Mala khoop anand hoto. Not a single Maharashtrian feels that hyala kasa kaay Marathi bolta yeta? Ha tar Ahuja and I yet I speak shuddh Marathi bara ka? My grandfather was Punjabi, grandmom Sindhi, so technically I am Punjabi. However, I didn’t know how to speak the language until three-four years ago. At home, hum pakke UP wale hai as my mother was born and brought up in Benaras. That UP twang that I used in some of my movies came from there. So, my familiarity with different languages helped my performance and comic timing a lot.”

I am overcome with emotions when I think of Bappi Lahiri. He was like family to me. I knew him even before I entered the film industry. His parents [Aparesh and Bansari Lahiri] were trained in classical music. My mother [Nirmala Devi] was a Hindustani classical vocalist. Bappi da and I got to know each other through our mothers. Few know that our relationship was a long-standing one.

He was known as the Disco King of India, who made people dance to his amazing tunes. But for me, his songs went beyond disco. When I listened to his songs, I would feel strongly connected to the tune and lyrics. Often, after a long day of shoot, I used to come back home and hear his compositions for the films I would do. We both used to sit down, hear every word, every [beat] and discuss how to [bring it alive] on screen.

There were times in my career when people would ask Bappi da why he loved me so much and defended me, though I wasn’t a Bengali. They would doubt my work, and ask, ‘Uss mein aisa kya hai?’ But Bappi da remained unfazed. He stood tall and supported me consistently throughout my career, giving music to my movies [like Ilzaam, Hatya, Aankhen and Shola Aur Shabnam].

Only God makes our careers. My mother was the reason I joined Bollywood, but I couldn’t have become a star if Bappi da had not stood like a rock behind me.

He supported not only my career, but also my brother Kirti’s. When Kirti turned filmmaker with Hatya (1988), no musician was willing to compose for his film because he was new. Bappi da said yes immediately. Among the other hits, he gave us Main Pyar Ki Pujaran. How can we ever forget that?

There are few artistes in this world who not only create amazing art, but also raise their voice against the wrong. Bappi da was one of them. He was so lucky for Mithun da [Chakraborty]. His voice connected with artistes all over the world. To me, his music was divine.

As told to Upala KBR

Bappi Lahiri with Kishore Kumar

Govinda marked his acting debut 35 years ago with Ilzaam (1986). And since then, he has successfully carved a niche for himself as a comedy actor.

“It has been rather interesting,” says Govinda, talking about his career graph. He elaborates, “It helped me serve my family. I could create my own brand of cinema. I am thankful that I could bring new stars, producers and directors to the industry, and they all did very well. If I look back, har jagah mere apne hi dikhaayi dete hain (smiles).”

While he may be taking it slow right now as far as films are concerned, he has made fruitful use of his time by pursuing music. “I thought of creating my own platform, Govinda Royalles, so that people who want to see Govinda kind of songs can watch them and have fun. I have written about 100-150 songs. I also want to sing and perform songs on my own,” the actor shares, adding that he is looking forward to some “huge proposals” coming his way from filmmakers.

Meanwhile, as Govinda turns 58 today, we ask him about his birthday celebration plans. “I am planning to visit a temple dedicated to a goddess. Every time I miss my mother, I visit a temple. Usually, I go alone but this time, I requested my wife to accompany me. We will do a pooja together,” he tells us.

Talking about his feelings of gratitude for the life and career he has had, the Partner (2007) actor adds, “The best thing I’ve learnt from my mother is to create an aura of happiness around myself, rather than waiting for other people or things to bring me joy. I believe my life is a result of the decisions I made. Nothing could tarnish my name or image. I believe in karma and doing good deeds,” he ends.

BT had recently reported about Krushna Abhishek opting out of an episode of The Kapil Sharma Show, which featured his mama, Govinda, as a celebrity guest. Krushna had said that he would not be able to perform comedy in front of his uncle, given the fact that their relationship has soured over the past few years. While Govinda had kept mum then, he has finally decided to break his silence. He says, “I am utterly sad to talk about this in public, but it is high time that the truth came out. I read the report about my nephew (Krushna Abhishek) not performing on a TV show as I was invited as a guest. He also spoke about our relationship. His statement had many defamatory comments and was thoughtless.”

Among other allegations, Krushna had said that his uncle had not met his twin sons — Rayaan and Krishaang — who were born in 2017. Refuting this, Govinda says, “I went to see the babies in the hospital, along with my family, and even met the doctor and the nurse taking care of them. However, the nurse told me that Kashmera Shah (Krushna’s wife) did not want any family member to meet them. When we insisted, we were allowed to see the boys from a distance, and we returned home with a heavy heart. However, I strongly feel that Krushna does not know about this incident. Later, he came to our home with the kids and Arti Singh (Krushna’s sister), which he has forgotten to mention.”

He further adds, “I’ve frequently been at the receiving end of Krushna and Kashmera’s defamatory comments — mostly in the media and some on their shows and stage performances. I don’t understand what they are gaining from all this. My relationship with Krushna was strong since the time he was a child; my family and people from the industry have witnessed it. I feel that washing dirty linen in public is an indication of insecurity and allows outsiders to take advantage of misunderstandings in a family.”

Govinda asserts, “Through this statement, I would like to announce that I shall maintain a graceful distance from now on and urge those who dislike me to do the same. Every family has misunderstandings and problems, but to discuss them in the media may cause irreparable damage. I am perhaps the most misunderstood person, but so be it. My late mother would always tell me, ‘Neki kar aur dariya mein daal’. That’s what I intend to do.”

Govinda, 50, is not just an actor with great timing, but he is also a loyal human being with great simplicity. He may have had the reputation of being a latecomer, but he was also often conveniently misunderstood. He is religious and is proud of having his parents' blessings that have given him the capability to look after his entire family. He knows that he has a big heart, but he now wants to build a great body. Over an hour-long conversation in his house over a cup of coffee and Parle-G glucose biscuits, he talks to Bombay Times about the uncanny predictions of his mother, how only Dilip Kumar understood him and his decision to make up for lost time with his wife Sunita. Excerpts:

How did you come into films?
My dad Arun was launched as a hero in 1940 by Mehboob Khan sahab in Aurat. We are originally from Gujranwala in Pakistan. My father was very successful and we had a bungalow on Carter Road, till one day when he produced a film and went into a heavy loss. We had to sell off our bungalow and moved to Virar. My dad's nervous system had got shaken up and for about 15 years, he remained unwell. I have four sisters and an older brother, Kirti. When my mother was expecting me, she turned into a sadhu. She lived with my father in the same house, but the life of a sadhu. So for a year after I was born, my daddy did not take me in his lap, as he connected my birth with him losing his wife to becoming a sadhu. But over time, people would tell him how I was a khoobsurat kid and that I was a good boy and then, he started loving me. My brother taught acting in Roshan Taneja sahab's institute. I was such a mama's boy that no one imagined that I could come into the film line. She wanted me to do a bank job. It was my dad who encouraged me to come into films. He would say, 'You can write so well, you look so nice, you can act, you should try in films. Why are you going around finding a job?' So sometimes, without telling my mom, I would go to Rajshri Productions to see if I could get some work. Then one day, I requested mummy to allow me. She said, 'No sharab, no cigarette. If you want to try for sometime, try, but I don't want to see those things in life.' I was very lucky. I went to acting institute and Roshan Tanejaji did not take the fees from me, Saroj Khanji taught me dance but did not charge me, Ram fight master taught me how to fight but did not charge me, as they all loved me seeing my work. I became a hero within a year at 21. In 1988, I launched our home production Hatya with Kirti as its director and from then on, never looked back till 2003.

Talk about your mother?
She was a devi personality and my guru. My father was a devta aadmi too by nature, but had got detached from the film industry. He felt that due to his hard time, she became like that. Whatever she would ask me to do, I would always do it for her. She loved me a lot and also respected me as a son. Between the age of 14 and 21, she made me do the Gayatri Mantra 48 lakh times. I would sit for three hours every day doing it and people would laugh at me, saying God knows what she would make me into. I was most attached to my mummy. From a very young age, my dad did not have work, so mummy would look after the house. She would go and sing bhajans and do thumri performances to support the house. So right from when I was 13, I wanted to work to help her. I had opened a small restaurant called Govinda in Virar, but that did not work. She would pamper us fully as a mother and yet, we felt that she was beyond all worldly attachments. She was most strict with me and she had a lot of hope from me. Whatever she would predict, would happen for sure. I would find many dead snakes under my pillow. When I was 17, she said, 'When you will be 21, you will do kamaal.' I became a hero at 21. And in 50 days, I had signed 49 films.Whatever she said, would happen for sure. When my mother went out for programmes, it was our older sister Padma jiji (Krushna Abhishek's mother), who would look after us. My mother predicted that she would die after delivering her daughter Arti. That cancer and Arti were growing in her stomach simultaneously and she did die. Then one day mummy predicted her own death to me. I was very hassled. Three months later, she died exactly when she had said she would.

How badly were you affected by her death?
My mother died in 1996. She had once got hurt in 1993 and from then on only, I started doing Mahamrityunjaya Jaap for her and did them 60 lakh times. I was in Paris shooting Hero No. 1 and was at the peak of my career, but while shooting, I started crying on the streets. Some foreigners came and asked me why I was crying and I said, 'My mom is not well.' I knew she was going to die and the next day, I lost her. I cried so much that I tore 36 tissues of my chest and stomach and had to be hospitalised. I was not prepared and did not know how to live without her. I really struggled, but God helped me. Mummy had given me a Guru Mantra with the help of which I got okay and could come out of depression and I got to understand many things. Today, I feel she has come into me.

Did you ever start drinking?
When I was 34, for the first time I asked mummy, 'Can I have a beer?' I was in a disco and I felt like having it and, of course, she gave me a pravachan. She said, 'Chi Chi, liquor was made for people who were tired or people who would feel cold. It was not made for indulgence. It is meant for weak people.' She would say, 'Look at your face, what a personality you have.' I do drink, but occasionally.

You had a terrible reputation of being late on the set. What was the reason for that?
I used to do 5-6 shifts and would work 18 hours a day, with just 3-4 hours of sleep. I had a nervous breakdown twice and had to be hospitalised. Producers would be standing outside the hospital waiting for me. People are not sensitive or interested in your problems, they just want to do business with you. I have had a lot of tragedies in my house, so while I may have looked fit, inside I was going through a lot. But I knew that even if I was late, I needed to be in the right frame of mind, mentally and physically. There were also times when a producer may have gone to meet his girlfriend, but put the reason for delay on me. Dilip Kumar sahab was the only person in the film industry who could understand my problem. He was sensitive and could see that I was not okay and advised me to do comedy and yoga. My comedy films started working and like he had said, to a large extent, comedy helped me get out of my emotional problems. When I became a big star, there were times when I was late, but there were also times when I came on time and no one reported. There were people working towards getting me out of films by using the media to build my reputation as a latecomer. I too tried to manipulate the media, but finally people who were against me succeeded and by 2004, I had acquired a bad reputation of being a latecomer and had joined politics.

Talk about the tragedies you referred to?
I have seen 11 deaths in my family, including my first daughter who died when she was four months as she was a premature baby and my mother, my father, my two cousins, my jija and my sister. Then their companies had shut down, so they had no work. All their kids were brought up by me. There was a lot of emotional and financial pressure.

Did you feel over-burdened at any point?
Many people would come to meet my mother, so I would take time with mummy to meet her. Mother and son would sit on an aasan and talk once she was free. I once told her, 'Mummy, let us distribute everything to our family and both of us get free.' She said, 'Arre Ram, Ram, Ram! I thought tum bahut bade aadmi banoge. People look after a whole city and nation, you are getting tired just looking after your family. Keep your heart big and ask more from God. Don't get scared.' And that became my attitude from that day. I consider myself very lucky. I consider the grace of God and the blessings of my mother, that I could serve my family. I feel very proud in my heart as a son. As a husband, ab thoda thoda ho raha hoon.

Talk about your wife Sunita?
I used to hug my mother and would never sleep without pressing her feet. Sometimes I would be so tired that while pressing her feet only, I would go off to sleep there. My mom and Sunita also have so many times given me a sponge bath in my sleep when I was tired. Sunita ne itna jhela hai mujhe. She would always surprise me by praising me and respecting me too much. As her husband, I feel sad that being a star wife, I could not give her what she deserved in her youth as a star wife. I didn't make her roam around and enjoy as much as I should have. And I always say sorry to her. But I am lucky that we are both still young. What she likes the most about me is my honesty and she knows that my love for her that I had from the beginning still remains and has its own place.

What made you enter and then exit politics?
I have always listened to elders in my life. So when some senior people of the nation asked me to join, I did. But I felt that I didn't belong to this world. And I came back.

Do you have friends in the industry?
There are no friends in the industry. But what is important is who has given you saath. And he is bigger than a friend. I feel that film line jaisi bhi ho, yeh saath deti hai. Mehboob Khan sahab, Dilip Kumarji and Salman Khan ne mera saath diya. I like Salman and I like him because woh badi hi imaandari se saath deta hai.