Hero No. 1, Govinda's lateness, has always been a hot topic. Many stars and filmmakers have spoken openly about it. Now, veteran director Priyadarshan has revealed that he set a condition for Govinda: don't be late to his film.
Govinda, a superstar of the 90s, was as famous for his comic timing and dance as he was for his lateness. Many artists and filmmakers have said that Govinda often arrived late for shoots. Recently, director Priyadarshan also spoke openly on this issue. He revealed that he had placed a special condition before Govinda while signing him for the film 'Bhagam Bhag'.
25
What was Priyadarshan's condition for Govinda?
Priyadarshan, who is busy promoting his next film 'Bhooth Bangla' starring Akshay Kumar, told Mashable India, “I received the Padma Shri and in an interview, someone asked me if it was my biggest achievement. I said no, my biggest achievement is that I got Govinda and Salman Khan to the set at 5 in the morning and finished the film on time.” He added, “I had told Govinda, 'I have heard a lot about you, so if you can't come on time, please don't do this film.' But let me tell you one thing, he arrived on time every single day. I had a lot of fun working with him.”
35
Priyadarshan also disliked Govinda's habit of changing dialogues
Priyadarshan also revealed that Govinda would often change his dialogues during the shoot, a habit he didn't particularly like. He says, "Govinda would often add his own dialogues, so I told him—I am already paying Neeraj Vora, I don't need another writer." For the record, 'Bhagam Bhag' was released in 2006 and was a hit. The film also had Akshay Kumar in a lead role alongside Govinda. Now, a second part of this film is coming, in which Manoj Bajpayee has replaced Govinda.
Even Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth had to wait for Govinda
In 2025, actor Vijay Patkar also shared a story about Govinda's lateness. He revealed that during the shooting of the film 'Hum', Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth had to wait for several days for a scene. He also mentioned that during the shooting of 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan', Amitabh Bachchan himself used to go to Govinda's house to pick him up. According to Vijay, "He would go to his house in his car, honk, and ask him to come for the shoot. He would make him sit in his car and bring him to the set. That's why Bachchan ji is still working today. If you want to throw tantrums, first reach that level. The producer pays you to work, not to throw tantrums.”
55
Govinda has already clarified the lateness allegations
Govinda has already presented his side regarding the allegations of lateness. In an episode of the talk show 'Too Much with Twinkle Khanna and Kajol', Govinda had said, 'I have been defamed for not coming on time. I said—who has the guts to do five shifts and still be on time? It's just not possible. How can one man do so much shooting? Here, people get tired after just one film.' Govinda says that sometimes the delays were also due to traffic, scheduling, or other technical reasons. He believes that small delays are often exaggerated by the media and gossip circles.
