‘Kader Khan would get very angry with Govinda’: Shagufta Ali recalls how often the ‘Hero No. 1’ star was late on set but was always ‘a bigger perfectionist than Aamir Khan’
Directed by David Dhawan, ‘Hero No. 1’ featured Govinda, Karisma Kapoor, Kader Khan, Paresh Rawal, Satish Shah, Tiku Talsania and Shagufta Ali in pivotal roles. Veteran actor Shagufta Ali recently looked back on her time working with Govinda in ‘Hero No. 1’, sharing several memories from the film’s shoot. While recalling the experience, she spoke about the cheerful atmosphere on set, Govinda’s dedication to his craft and the one habit that often created challenges during production.The actor said she enjoyed every moment of the filming schedule and described the experience as one of the memorable phases of her career. As quoted by News18, Shagufta said, “We used to have great fun whether Govinda or Karisma were on the set or not. We were on a paid picnic. The outdoor shoot in Ooty was great. We had stayed at Mithun Da’s hotel. When he got to know about it, he came to meet us and treated us to seafood he had personally cooked.”
Govinda’s late arrivals became a regular concern
During the interaction, Shagufta also addressed Govinda’s widely discussed habit of reaching film sets much later than the scheduled reporting time. She explained that although the delays affected the shoot, they never changed her opinion about him as a person or as an actor. According to Shagufta, Govinda remained one of the most committed performers she had worked with. She said his focus on delivering the perfect shot often outweighed everything else, even after the director had approved a take.She recalled, “Govinda used to come late on set here too. If the shift was at 9 am, he would come by 1 or 2 pm, and never before that. This was the only issue with Govinda; otherwise, he was a very nice person. I have done 3-4 films with him. He is a very nice person, fun-loving. He does 25 rehearsals. Govinda is a bigger perfectionist than Aamir Khan. David sir would okay the take, but he would still insist and also apologise to others. His eye for perfection was so strong that he didn’t care if the person opposite him was tired.”
Kader Khan reportedly disliked the delays
Shagufta revealed that the repeated delays often frustrated several people on the set, including veteran actor Kader Khan. While she noted that he rarely expressed his displeasure openly, she said waiting for Govinda became a daily routine during filming.Recalling Kader Khan’s reaction, she said, “Kader Khan would get very angry with Govinda for arriving late; others would get irritated too. We had to wait for him every day. Even though he would not show his anger openly, he would grumble about it.”
‘Hero No. 1’ remains a fan favourite
‘Hero No. 1′ went on to become a major commercial success and remains one of the most popular films from Govinda and Karisma Kapoor’s successful on-screen partnership. On the professional front, Govinda is preparing to return to cinemas with Roopa, marking his first theatrical release in seven years. Meanwhile, Shagufta Ali was last seen in the Hindi drama ’30 Hours Survival: Gauraiya Live’, which was released in April 2024. Go to Source
