Bollywood star Govinda is miffed with the way his role as a forest ranger has shaped up in Mani Ratnam's Raavan. When Govinda saw the rushes of Raavan, he felt his role, which was anyway brief to begin with, had turned out far smaller than he had expected, says a media report.
Govinda not only requested Mani Ratnam to bill his part as a guest appearance but he also stayed away from the grand music release of the film in Mumbai on April 24 as a mark of protest.
Govinda refutes these rumours. He says, “I couldn't attend the event on Saturday at such short notice. I was informed about it only two days in advance. I had to be in Vrindavan for a puja on Saturday. It was a day meant for prayers for the welfare of one's children. How could I skip that?”
He adds, “It's not as if the Raavan event was not important enough. I realise my absence was noticeable because the entire cast was there. But I'm sure Mani Ratnam, who's a Brahmin like me, realised the importance of that day in the Hindu calendar. In fact, he chose April 24 to release the music of Raavan for the same reason I was in Vrindavan.”
Govinda said: “I did the role because my wife Sunita told me to. I'm glad I listened to her. Although mine is just a guest appearance, I've learnt so much working with Mani Ratnam. It was like going to an acting school, something I had never done in my career. I was simply a student on location. I surrendered completely to Mani Sir's vision. I really don't care how big or small my role is. To me, Raavan is a new beginning.”
Govinda is so confident of Raavan that he has put all other offers on hold.
He says, “I'm not signing any films till Raavan releases. I'll lose weight, and I will wait. Even Partner 2 is on hold until Salman, Sohail and David get a proper script.”
What Govinda resents is the constant mythological references in the press. “Mani Ratnam has not made a mythological film. And I'm certainly not playing Hanuman!” he says.
In Raavan, Govinda plays the guy who helps Vikram through the dense forest to track down Abhishek Bachchan. Govinda will be seen in a forest ranger's role in the film.
