Govinda Says Daughter Tina Ahuja Is ‘Charting Her Own Path’ As He Opens Up About Camps in Bollywood

Hero No.1 aka Govinda is one of the finest talents of the Bollywood industry. No one does comedy on-screen better than him and over a career spanning more than 30 years, Govinda has entertained the audiences with some of the most memorable films like Raja Babu, Coolie No. 1, Haseena Maan Jaayegi, Partner, to name a few. 

However, Govinda did not have it all easy. Despite having actor parents Nirmala Devi and Arun Kumar Ahuja, the actor did not receive opportunities on a platter. “There was a gap of 33 years between them leaving the film industry and me becoming an actor at 21. So by the time I entered the industry, many new producers had come who didn’t know much about my lineage. I had to wait for hours to meet them. I understood why they’d talk or behave in a certain way but never let it come in between me and my art,” Govinda shares while talking to a leading publication.

While Govinda has featured in over 200 films and counting and received immense appreciation, he recalls that many made comments against him and was told that he wouldn’t be able to make it at all. “I’ve been told this on my face. But I knew even the likes of Raj Kapoor ji, Jeetendra ji, Amitabh Bachchan ji, Vinod Khanna ji and Rajesh Khanna ji went through a lot, too. In this industry, you need to have the right perspective. Either you work hard, or pay heed to what people say about you.”

Reacting to the chatter around nepotism in Bollywood, Govinda asserts that camps in the industry do exist, and his films were also affected in the past. “Earlier whoever was talented, got work. Every film would get equal opportunity in theatres. But now, there are four or five people who dictate the whole business. They decide if they want to let films of those who aren’t close to them, release properly or not. Some of my good films also didn’t get the right kind of release. But, things are changing now,” he says.

When asked about his daughter Tina Ahuja, who is also in the acting business, Govinda commented:

“I’ve never spoken much about her. Had I done that, hopefully, things would have been different. She’s charting her own path and will rise whenever her time comes.”

Tina Ahuja made her Bollywood debut in the 2015 Second Hand Husband.