Why Pahlaj Nihalani launched Govinda despite not 'liking his look'
What's the story
Pahlaj Nihalani, the veteran Bollywood producer who passed away on Thursday at the age of 76, was instrumental in shaping Govinda's career. In a previous interview with Learn From The Legend, Nihalani revealed that he first thought of casting Govinda for the 1986 film Ilzaam. Despite initially being unimpressed by Govinda's looks, he was swayed by the actor's talent and dance skills.
Casting decision
'I saw his pictures at first and I didn't like...'
Nihalani recalled, "I saw his pictures at first and I didn't like it at all. I didn't like his look." "He came the next day with his dance video cassette. Break dance was very popular because of Michael Jackson. I asked him about his talents." "Then, although I didn't like the face much, I cast him only because of his work (dance, action, etc)."
Career highlights
'No one as talented as him'
Despite the ups and downs in Govinda's career, Nihalani always spoke highly of him, going on record as saying, "no one as talented" as the Hero No. 1 star. He always noted he was behind Govinda's successful films like Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen. "When he didn't have any work, I gave Shola Aur Shabnam to him. He was doing comedy for the first time."
Supportive stance
Nihalani on why people turned against Govinda
During Govinda's career slump, Nihalani defended him and said that he was often stabbed in the back. He told Pinkvilla, "He didn't get any films after (Partner). Many of his big films got shut down, including one with Priyanka Chopra." "If someone stabs you in the back, there's not even a single mark left behind. You don't even get to know."
Lasting legacy
His thoughts on Govinda as a professional
Nihalani always praised Govinda's professionalism, saying, "He has shot for me 6am in the morning. He was never late than the assigned time." "I will never say anything wrong about Govinda as an actor and as a person. His thought process is at fault sometimes." Apart from his films with Govinda, Nihalani also produced Andaz and Talaash. He also served as the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) from 2015-2017. Nihalani was reportedly battling liver cirrhosis.