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Govinda: I don't know why my films don't release

January 29, 2013 16:16 IST

A scene from Deewana Main DeewanaK C Bokadia’s Deewana Main Deewana was made five years ago but has remained in the cans as there were no takers for it.

Now, the producer-director has decided to release the film on his own. It will be in the theatres on February 1.

The lead pair of Govinda and Priyanka Chopra is going all out to promote the film. Last week Priyanka launched the music of the film.

Govinda promoted the film at the Raheja Classique Club in Andheri, a suburb of Mumbai, on Monday.

Bokadia praised Govinda, who is noted for coming late on the sets, for “always being on time for the shooting; he never gave me a hard time.”

All that Govinda would say in answer to a question on why the film was not released earlier was: “Every film has its own destiny, let’s see how the film turns out at the box office. I wish the film huge success.”

Govinda made fun of his own habits when he said, “When I was late for shoots and press meets, my films did well. Now that I have started coming on time and my film shoots are over within nine months, I don’t know why my films don’t release. And if they do release, they are not doing good business. I think I should start coming late again.”

He also said that filmmaking is now a huge business and lots of money is involved in it that’s why it is all the more necessary to come on time and finish the film on time.

Talking about his co-star Priyanka Chopra, Govinda said, “She is a good human being, and well mannered. When Bokadiasaab signed Priyanka, I had predicted that she will be a very good and big actress and look what she has achieved in this short time.”

Govinda plays a negative role in the film but he claims it's not 'totally negative.' 

"If it was totally negative, I would not have signed it as it would not suit me,” he says.

The star who is known for doing comedy roles said, “Today’s generation has not seen many of my films so they don’t know my image, whether comedy or romantic, and will see me in this grey image and like it too.”

On his doing very few films and a negative role, Govinda recounted this anecdote: “My father Arun Ahuja was an actor and he did films as a hero. So when Mehboobsaab asked my father to do a negative role, he did not do it. He then entered a bad phase in his career and did not get work. He told me, ‘Govind, when we get work, we start choosing, and today I have no work.’ He regretted his decision. So I feel whatever work you get, you should do it and prove yourself.”

He said he was not going through a good phase in his career because many of his films have stalled.

Any regrets in life? “When I believed in astrology and numerology, people made fun of me but today there are so many channels just dedicated to astrology and numerology. I now regret that I didn’t start a channel on this. But then I am happy in life. I don’t dwell upon it,” he signs off.

Patcy N in Mumbai