If one had to list the most successful director-actor collaborations in Bollywood over the years, Govinda and David Dhawan would be right on top. The actor and director have worked together on numerous films such as Hero No. 1, Coolie No. 1, Raja Babu, Partner and many others. However, the two had a fallout in 2017, after which they didn’t collaborate. Recently, David Dhawan defended Govinda for coming late to sets and praised his ability to perform scenes in one take.
David Dhawan on Govinda arriving late on sets
While Govinda has been one of the top stars of the ’80s and ’90s, he was also accused by several filmmakers of coming late to sets. During his appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show, Dhawan said, “Here I want to tell you, log bolte hain na late aata hai sets par, aaj kaun nahi late aata hai? Woh aata hai, apna kaam khatam kar ke jaata hai (People say that he comes late to the sets, but tell me who doesn’t arrive late these days? He arrives, completes his work, and then leaves).”
He also recalled how the actor shot Partner scenes in one take. “You will not believe it. He would show up and ask for his scene. It would be a four-page scene. He would go through it thoroughly while I was setting up the shot. He said, ‘Don’t set it up yet. Do one thing. Here’s the scene. Watch me perform. I’ll do it in one take.’ This was in Partner. He did all kinds of acrobatics in that scene; you can’t imagine. Then he told me to edit the scene however I wanted. Unbelievable. Govinda is incredible,” he added.
Varun Dhawan on David missing Govinda
Varun Dhawan shared how David constantly compares his performances with those of other actors. Speaking about his long association with Govinda, David said, “I have done 17 films with Govinda. I believe one of the best actors I have worked with is Govinda.”
Varun added, “Now, whatever scene gets written, every time he remembers Govinda. He thinks about how Chichi bhaiyya would do the scene. Then I tell him that I have to perform for my audience too, but I have a very tall order to live up to. He always keeps giving me references of what Salman Khan, Govinda, or Anil Kapoor would do.”
David`s next directorial, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, features his actor-son Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde in crucial roles. The film is set to release on June 12, 2026.