Govinda in trouble!

Komal Nahta

Govinda's cup of woe runneth over. The actor had launched a new concern, Govinda Yashwardhan No 1, a while ago, and and had released his own starrers, Hadh Kar Di Aapne and Joru Ka Ghulam, in the Bombay circuit.

Both films bombed at the BO.

Govinda's third distribution venture -- another of his own starrers -- Beti No. 1 has run into stormy weather just before its release. Its producer, Rajeev Kumar, is neck deep in financial problems and is unable to effect delivery of the film's prints to the distributors -- the film release has been cancelled twice already.

What's more, only last week, Govinda acquired the Bombay distribution rights of the seemingly-forever-in-the-making, Shikari, from its first Bombay distributor, Veekay Enterprises. The film, starring Govinda, Karisma Kapoor and Tabu, has finally been completed after a laborious three-and-a-half years in production.

Now, Shikari has come under dispute over registration by the Indian Motion Picture Distributors' Association -- a must for all Hindi film releases.

It turns out that Veekay Enterprises had already sold parts of the Bombay circuit to sub-distributors. Now, IMPDA can only register the film in Govinda's name after the claims of all these sub-distributors are settled.

Now, Shikari's release also hangs in balance.

There is a silver lining, though -- the matter will be sorted out at IMPDA's impending meeting before Friday, October 6, the day the film is scheduled for release.