Madhuri Dixit says she’s glad she worked with punctual co-stars Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff amid questions about Govinda

Govinda, the comedy king of the 90s known for films like Coolie No. 1, Hero No. 1 and Raja Babu, was often labelled as an actor who arrived late on sets despite his massive success. However, in a past interview, Govinda clarified that his delayed arrivals were not due to indiscipline. Now, the topic has resurfaced after Madhuri Dixit said she was glad she never worked with actors who were known for being late.

What Madhuri Dixit said in her recent interview

In a recent interview with Mid-Day, Madhuri Dixit was asked about her experience of working with actors who were notoriously late, including Govinda. Addressing the long-standing perception, she said she never faced such issues during her career.
“Thank God I worked with people who were always on time. They were Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff. With me, it never happened,” Madhuri said.

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Why Govinda followed Dilip Kumar’s approach

In a candid interview with Mukesh Khanna, Govinda explained that his working style was inspired by legendary actor Dilip Kumar. He said that punctuality, for him, was more about being mentally prepared than arriving at a fixed time.
“I never used to arrive on time on set. I was a follower of Dilip Kumar sahab. I didn’t believe in being late and all. I used to first set my rhythms right. Jab tak mere sur taal nahi set ho jaaye, main set pe nahi pahuchta tha,” Govinda said.

How Dilip Kumar helped him survive peak success

Govinda also spoke about how Dilip Kumar played a crucial role during the busiest phase of his career. At one point, he had several films running simultaneously and was constantly travelling from one set to another.
“I would have 40–49 films on the floor. I would travel from one set to another. Main anpadh aadmi in film logon ke haath mein lag gaya, agar Dilip Kumar sahab nahi milte mujhe toh ye log mar dete mujhe. He made me refuse around 25 films. I told Dilip Kumar sahab, ‘I will have to return this money.’ He told me, ‘I will lend it to you, but quit these films,’” Govinda recalled.
The advice helped him regain control over both his career and personal life.

On the work front

Madhuri Dixit is set to return to the small screen after three years with the upcoming psychological thriller Mrs Deshpande. The series will stream on JioHotstar from December 19.


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