Ranveer Singh will be the next superstar, Bollywood star Govinda says in 'Aap Ki Adalat'
Bollywood superstar Govinda has said that actor Ranveer Singh is going to be the next superstar of Hindi films. 'When I met Ranveer Singh, I told him you will be a superstar, you will excel in your forthcoming films.'
Govinda was replying to questions from Rajat Sharma in the show 'Aap Ki Adalat' that was aired tonight on India TV. He said, "in order to succeed, it is necessary that an artiste should be polite, should learn fast, and must shun arrogance. He has those qualities, and I think he has just begun, and if he continues to work hard, he will succeed. He is my favourite."
Govinda, who has acted in 118 films in the first 11 years of his career, was, at one point of time, shooting for 29 films simultaneously. At the age of 22, he had signed nearly 50 films, and many of them were hits.
The actor had words of praise for another superstar Salman Khan. "I love him, he is a very nice person and a very good artiste. Both Ranveer and Salman top my list."
Govinda, for the first time, revealed why he broke up with his long-time friend director David Dhawan, with whom he had done 17 hit films.
When Rajat Sharma asked why he has stopped speaking to David Dhawan for the last several years, Govinda replied: "He can ask me this question only when his son (Varun Dhawan) makes 17 films with him. I do not think his son will ever do 17 films with him, because he is, after all, David Dhawan's son. He is educated. I never realized the meaning of doing 17 films with a director.
"It was Sanjay Dutt who told me to give work to a fellow Punjabi (David Dhawan). I used to give work to fellow Punjabis at that time. I liked David and did many hit films with him. I did not even treat my relatives so well as I treated him. Even with my brother, who is a director, I did not do 17 films."
On the incident that led to the breakup, Govinda revealed: "After I left politics, I told my secretary to keep the phone speaker on, so that I could listen what he (David Dhawan) was saying. I heard, David saying, Chi-Chi (Govinda's nickname) is questioning a lot. He was telling my secretary, I do not want to work with Govinda any more. Tell him to do some small bit roles.
"This shocked me and I decided never to work with him. After 4-5 months, I again rang him up just to find out if he would give me a guest appearance in his film. He then never rang me back. I am revealing this in public after so many years. I think he is under somebody's influence. I do not think he is that same David Dhawan whom I used to know. "
Asked why he broke up with screenwriter Late Kader Khan, with whom he did 41 hit films, Govinda replied: "Kader Khan had the Midas touch. Whichever film he used to touch, it became a hit. He first wrote superhit films for Amitabh Bachchan, then wrote superhit films for Jeetendra, then did hit films with Mithun Chakraborty, and he wrote superhit films for me. "
When Rajat Sharma pointed out that Kader Khan's son had said after his father's death that Govinda never even asked once about his father's health, Govinda replied: "Kader Khan had become a man of such 'a soft nature' that he used to take umbrage over even small issues. Once he was writing a screenplay on a divine religious book, and I beseeched him not to touch his pen to paper for writing about a religious book. I told him it could harm his life, his health and his activities.
"I cautioned him only because I loved him. The director came and told me how I dared to ask Kader Khan to stop writing. I replied, it is because I love him. Kader Khan continued writing, and our relationship ended. Kader Khan also scolded me. He was my guru and I didn't reply to him. I however tried to contact him three or four times later, but could not. He then fell ill."
The Bollywood star also admitted that he believed in superstition and numerology. He revealed that it was because of his mother's advice that he "remarried" his wife Sunita, when he reached the age of 49. He also admitted that he changed his name to Govinda, because he believed in numerology, and "wanted the number 27, which adds up to nine".
Govinda said: "Honourable (Aadaraniya) Amitabh Bachchan Ji wears a sapphire, has anybody commented? Never, because they fear. Sanjay Dutt wears precious stones, has anybody commented? And Salman Khan? People will flee in fear if they ask him."
He alleged that those who levelled charges of superstition on him themselves secretly believed in 'vaastu shastra' (traditional Hindu system of architecture).
The actor also revealed that at the age of 14, he recited "Gayatri Mantra" 24 lakh times to attain success in filmdom. "It was because of my mother's advice and blessings. I never looked like a hero at that time."
Govinda disclosed, how he trembled when he was asked to do a romantic scene in his first film. "The dance director Saroj Khan was astonished when I told her that I had never touched a girl romantically in my teens. She then sent her assistant Rajlakshmi to train me how to do the romantic scene. After that, I never lost track, and then it was time for the actresses to tremble."
Govinda revealed that his decision to join politics and run for the 14th Lok Sabha elections was not his. "There were sadhus and saints who persuaded me to run for elections. Anyway, I late left politics, because I am basically an artiste and shall always remain so."
Govinda in Rajat Sharma's show Aap Ki Adalat aired tonight at 10 pm on India TV. The repeat telecasts will take place tomorrow Sunday, July 28, at 10 am and 10 pm.
For details, pl contact India TV on 93505 93505
