Govinda to woo art filmmakers

Govinda, the smiling star with lightening in his feet has an amazing charm that floors you every time he is around. Even if he’s fashionably late (as always) for an interview and seems uncomfortable in his designer formals, Govinda is a shutterbug’s delight. So what if his films haven’t done sound commercial business and he is buying distribution rights to some of them?

It’s not everyday that you meet a really nice guy who’s a people’s star. Not for him starry tantrums as he happily obliges autograph-hungry fans on his way to his hotel suite. Govinda doesn’t mind his Jumping Jack act but he confesses: “It’s about time I tried something different. I enjoy dancing and I don’t think anyone has any business commenting about my parrot green trousers or yellow shirts. Unlike other actors I am not stripping. The clothes I wear on screen suit my screen character, they don’t define my personal style statement.”

Govinda’s also cut down on his workload and has three films lined up for release: Raja Bhaiyya, Khullam Khulla Pyar Karenge and Ek Haseena Ek Deewana. “I honour my commitments. Sometimes I know that the audience will say ‘but I saw him do the same stuff earlier’. For them I’d say these films are ones I had signed sometime back. They are cute paisa-vasool entertainers so you shouldn’t expect anything beyond wholesome entertainment from them.”

Govinda, who’s also dabbling in poetry in between his hectic shooting schedule would like to “put them together in a book of poems but I haven’t spoken to a publisher yet. The very idea of approaching a publisher to market my creative work puts me off. I even sing well and someone once told me I should cut an album again (his debut album Govinda hit the markets a few years back) but I want to focus completely on the album, right now I have no time for that.”

Govinda doesn’t want to attach too much importance to popular awards although he admits that being acknowledged is a “nice feeling. Usually most popular film awards have a habit of ignoring me and choosing other favourites year after year. After a point you don’t hurt because a jury of 10 people can’t decide my merit: the verdict belongs to my audience. Every Friday they make or break us. If I have survived in this film industry for 12 years then I am worth something.”

Govinda the star doesn’t want to fall in the familiar image trap of a dancing hero. As an actor, Govinda wants to move beyond the “mundane” and “experiment as an actor. I am talking to a couple of art filmmakers who’ll offer me something different. As for the rest, someone up there knows what I deserve and so far he hasn’t let me down.”