The claims made by Bollywood’s veteran actor, Govinda, also known as ‘Hero No. 1’, have been making headlines. In an interview with Mukesh Khanna, the actor stated that James Cameron had approached him for the film ‘Avatar’ and that he was offered 18 crores for the role, and even suggested the title for the Hollywood film. Now, Pahlaj Nihalani, a filmmaker and former Chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification, has shed some light on the matter. Nihalani revealed that he was actually directing the ‘Avatar’ film that Govinda was referring to, and the shooting had already commenced, but it was Govinda who eventually shelved the project.
When asked about the veracity of Govinda’s claims, Pahlaj Nihalani stated, “I had started a film called ‘Avatar’ with Govinda, but it had no connection to James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’. We had completed almost 40% of the film.” He further added, “Govinda himself advised me to abandon ‘Avatar’ and work on something else, which is why we stopped working on it. We eventually made ‘Rangila Raja’ instead. It was the only time I went against my instincts, and I still regret that decision.” The story of ‘Avatar’ revolved around a young politician with football as its backdrop.
Regarding what went wrong with his film ‘Avatar’, Nihalani explained, “Govinda had already shot scenes with 40-50 minutes of dialogue. We were in the middle of shooting a song when he fell ill one morning, and thereafter, the work never progressed. I don’t want to say anything more on this matter, but I would like to reiterate that Govinda is one of the best actors we have. Unfortunately, people hesitate to sign him due to his attitude and demeanor. This has happened with three or four producers who wanted to cast him but backed out due to his behavior.”
Nihalani also commented on Govinda’s statement about the industry conspiring against him, saying, “Govinda should first distance himself from the people who are advising him. What he’s saying isn’t entirely wrong; there have been attempts to undermine his films. ‘Rangila Raja’, which I made with Govinda in 2019, also faced significant setbacks. After a press conference where Govinda named a few big industry names, most of the film’s shows were canceled. That night, distributors called me and pulled out of ‘Rangila Raja’, and we couldn’t sell the film to any OTT platform.”
The veteran film producer praised Govinda, stating, “Of course, ups and downs are a part of life. We should accept and face them. Govinda is still a star who can draw crowds. His greatest asset is his talent. His stardom remains intact, and he has many fans. He bridges the gap between Amitabh Bachchan’s generation and Shah Rukh Khan’s generation. However, he needs to separate himself from people who are misleading him. Surrounding himself with astrologers and pandits all the time is not the right way to build a career in cinema.”
