‘Waham se bada zehar koi nahi’: Ashwin Kaushal on Govinda’s downfall, says ‘he can reclaim his superstar tag even today’

The conversation around Govinda’s declining career refuses to die down, even as fans continue to wait for his big comeback. Now, actor Ashwin Kaushal has weighed in on the subject, sharing his take on what led to the superstar’s downfall — and why he still believes a comeback is possible.In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Ashwin Kaushal didn’t mince words while explaining what, according to him, went wrong.“There is only one reason — there is no poison bigger than ‘waham’ (delusion) in life. That is what caused his downfall. His behaviour, his attitude... everything changed. Otherwise, who could have stopped Govinda?” he said.He added, “There’s still time. It’s not like he’s 90. I pray that someone pulls Chi Chi bhaiya out of this phase and gives him a powerful role. He is a god of entertainment.”Ashwin also drew parallels between Govinda and his frequent collaborator Kader Khan, saying the latter’s legacy still reflects in him.“Kader Khan lives within him. He has given him his blessings. He will keep that medium alive, he will keep the 90s actors alive. But ‘waham’ is only fine up to a certain point,” he said.Govinda and Kader Khan delivered several hits together in the 90s, including Raja Babu, Dulhe Raja, Hero No. 1, and Haseena Maan Jaayegi. Ashwin further asserted that Govinda still has it in him to reclaim his lost stardom.“People used to say things about Rajesh Khanna as well. But no one has seen stardom like his. Not even Amitabh Bachchan. And if Chi Chi bhaiya wants, he can reclaim his superstar tag even today — I’m saying this on record,” he said.The actor also claimed that Govinda’s beliefs and instincts sometimes affected his work schedule.“There were times when he would say, ‘Today is not the right time to step out… the timing isn’t right.’ Because of that, he would sometimes not come to the set,” Ashwin shared. Govinda ruled the 90s with back-to-back hits and unmatched popularity, often juggling multiple films at the same time while filmmakers queued up for his dates. However, his career gradually slowed down over the years.He was last seen in Rangeela Raja (2019), which failed at the box office. Since then, fans have been waiting to see the actor return to the big screen.