When Govinda cried with his mother over unpaid grocery bills, I refused to go to the shop anymore
Long before he became Bollywood's beloved
Hero No. 1
,
Govinda
lived through heartbreaking struggles that continue to inspire his fans.
'I Refused to Go to the Shop Anymore.'
In a throwback interview from 1997 with India Today, the superstar opened up about a particularly painful memory—when he and his family couldn't afford groceries, and humiliation at the hands of a local shopkeeper bought both him and his mother to tears.
Govinda recalled being made to wait for hours by the local grocer, who knew they couldn't pay. 'The baniya used to make me stand for hours because he knew I wouldn't pay for the goods,' Govinda shared. Eventually, the shame became too much for the young actor. 'Once I refused to go to the shop anymore. My mother started crying, and I cried with her,' he recounted.
From pain to success
Despite facing early financial ruin due to his father Arun Ahuja failed film career, Govinda never gave up on his dream. He debuted in '
Love 86
' (1986) and quickly rose to stardom with back-to-back hits like Ilzaam,
Raja Babu
, and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. But the trauma of his early life stayed with him, driving him to dream even bigger. 'People laugh. They say, 'He can't even speak English properly; what, he'll win an Oscar?' But if from nothing I could become Govinda, surely from Govinda I can become something,' he had said.
Govinda's personal front
Through all the highs and lows, one constant in Govinda's life has been his wife,
Sunita Ahuja
, whom he married in 1987. Together, they've built a close-knit family with their children, Tina and Yashvardan, proving that behind the screen legend is a man of great strength, humility, and love.
Sunita Ahuja Spotted at Mumbai Airport
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Chris Hughes deletes a post with Jojo Siwa because of THIS reason
Jojo Siwa is making headlines, yet again, after her rumoured boyfriend, Chris Hughes, posted an intimate picture of them. However, he soon deleted the picture, and the 22-year-old reality star received backlash regarding her sexuality. What happened with Chris Hughes, Jojo Siwa, and the netizens? On Sunday, June 1, 2025, Chris Hughes posted a picture on Snapchat, captioning, 'Sleeepinnn beauty,' where Siwa was peacefully lying on his chest and he was kissing her forehead while being under the sheet, according to Pop Base. While many of the fans adored the picture, others questioned the relationship status of the pair. Chris posted the picture when the rumours of his relationship with Jojo had been speculated on increasingly, after they both had denied the rumours. However, the backlash was surrounding the identity, where Jojo Siwa previously admitted that she no longer 'feels lesbian' but instead queer. The comments under the post The now-deleted picture has been going viral on X. One user said, 'JoJo spend years presenting herself in the lesbian community and literally invented gay pop to only turn around and immediately start dating a guy.' Another user quipped, 'can he unshare it, i am disturbed,' while a third said, 'jojo lying when she said they were just friends.' A fourth user pointed out, 'Jojo Siwa who called herself 'CEO Of Gay Pop' announcing a heterosexual relationship on the first day of Pride Month… shameeee.' When Jojo Siwa denied the rumours Jojo Siwa was in a relationship with Kath Ebbs; however, after she returned from a reality show, they parted ways. While the fans questioned whether the breakup was because of the newfound love, Chris Hughes, Siwa denied it in the May cover story of US Weekly. 'Now, to be out of the house, we just exist, and it is what it is. We're happy, and we have each other. It's a great little special friendship that we have,' she said. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Karan Johar reflects on school and college friendships that still shine: 'They are a safe place'
Filmmaker Karan Johar took a trip down memory lane and reminisced about the "innocent times" with his friends from his school and college days. He talked about being grateful these past connections remain a vibrant part of his present and future life. Karan took to Instagram, where he shared a handful of images with his friends from his younger days. One image even featured his mother Hiroo Johar. For the caption, he wrote: "The simplest,heartfelt and innocent times most of us have spent have been in our respective schools and colleges...." He added: "My friends from those days know me and each other in the purest way possible ... our indelible memories make us laugh and feel joyous in a way that is so inexplicable.... They are a safe place and a comfort zone that draw me back to the days where there was no judgment or any expectations ( or social media for that matter ) ..." The filmmaker said that they meet "after long gaps but the feeling is always the same" "All relationships are special and I am grateful to each and every one of my beautiful friendships.... But the GHS and HR college days are etched in my heart .... Forever...I am grateful that my past is in my present and the future has to therefore sparkle ...." Tagging his friends, Karan said that they are in the images and added that he feels "blessed to have many more from my school and college... they know who they are." On the work front, Karan will be seen hosting the upcoming reality show "The Traitors". It has 20 contestants, which includes names such as Anshula Kapoor, Maheep Kapoor, Karan Kundrra, Raj Kundra, Jasmine Bhasin, Apoorva, Ashish Vidyarthi, Elnaaz Nourouzi, Harsh Gujral, Jannat Zubair, Janvi Gaur, Lakshmi Manchu, Mukesh Chabbra, Nikita Luther, Purav Jha, Raftaar, Raj Kundra, Sahil Salathia, Sudhanshu Pandey and Sufi Motiwala. Premiering on June 12, "The Traitors" will stream on OTT, with new episodes dropping every Thursday. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam's Nayakan is not timeless, nor has it aged well; let that sink in
Ok, first things first. My intention is not to dismiss or disregard the impact and influence Nayakan (1987) has had, nor the contributions Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan have made to Indian cinema, both of which have inspired many to pursue filmmaking and acting. These are well-documented facts. However, the Nayakan effect on the masses has been so strong, unwavering even with time, that it almost (just almost; not necessarily exactly) feels like a bandwagon effect, where a critical evaluation of the film rarely occurs. You're free to conclude that I have a contrarian bias and move on. But Mani Ratnam himself told The Indian Express back in 1988, 'Whenever I see a film, I view it critically.' Yet, I honestly don't think Nayakan is a bad movie. In fact, it contains several commendable elements, some never-before-seen in Indian cinema. So, let's keep aside the blind devotion to the crime drama, take a step back and ask: Is Nayakan truly 'peak cinema'? Has it aged well? And where all did it falter? Now that Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam gear up for their first movie in 37 years, Thug Life, this is the right time. For this, let's work our way inward from the surface by analysing the film's narrative and technical aspects. Undoubtedly one of the finest movie dialogues in Tamil cinema, and one that has repeatedly found its way into pop culture, is the question posed by Sakthivel 'Velu' Nayakkar's (Kamal Haasan) grandson to him at the end, 'Neenga nallavara kettavara? (Are you a good person or a bad person?),' which shatters the old man. As Mani Ratnam once remarked, it 'puts across the moral dilemma of the man in a nutshell'. This is despite Velu's lifelong adherence to his guiding motto, 'Naalu peru saapida udhavumna, edhuvume thappille (If your actions help feed four people, then there's nothing wrong with it).' Although the movie abstains from offering a direct narrative answer to this question, its very title, Nayakan, is a significant giveaway. Yes, one could argue that it's a variation of his surname, Nayakkar (also written as Nayakar, Naikar, Nayaka, Naik, et al) — which also highlights his dominant caste background — but it literally translates to 'Hero' in English. True, its hero cannot be confined to the binaries of good or bad. However, considering the era in which the movie was made and Indian audiences' long-standing obsession with on-screen male heroes, particularly when portrayed by beloved stars, naming a film that seemingly refuses to take a clear stance on its protagonist's morality 'Hero' was an avoidable move. Unless, of course, the intention was a kind of reverse psychology. One of the biggest shortcomings of Nayakan is its overt and unabashed obsession with Kamal Haasan. In a way, Nayakan could be seen as an 'Aandavar fanboy sambavam' by Mani Ratnam, decades before the phrase even entered the Indian cinema vocabulary. Almost every element in the film seems designed to give the actor a moment to deliver an extraordinary performance, whether in the same shot/scene or the subsequent one(s). Considering this was still Mani Ratnam's early period as a filmmaker — having debuted just four years earlier, though impressively directing five films in that time — he had yet to master the art of preventing the star/actor from overshadowing the narrative itself. He revealed recently that they didn't have a bound script for Nayakan initially. By the time he made Thalapathi (1991), Mani had developed a better grip on this balance. The script for Thalapathi reflected his significant growth as a writer, weaving together diverse elements that connected meaningfully to the film's core, which was not Rajinikanth the star-actor. However, in Nayakan, Kamal is the film's soul, the air it breathes and its all-encompassing lordship. While Mani did manage to draw exceptional work from all involved, particularly Kamal, composer Ilaiyaraaja, cinematographer PC Sreeram and editors B Lenin and VT Vijayan, the film ultimately revolves around the actor and his exceptional skill set, especially his ability to emote through facial expressions and body language. Even before Velu becomes Nayakkar of Dharavi — while he is still just a boy who fled his hometown of Thoothukudi after stabbing a police officer who murdered his union-leader father — Nayakan's focus is singularly on him. After the film opens with the murder of Velu's father and his escape to Mumbai, and once the young Velu appears, the film's fixation on Kamal begins immediately. It doesn't spend time offering exposition about young Velu; instead, it jumps straight into showcasing Kamal's acting prowess. From the moment he is arrested by the police for 'acting smart' during a forced eviction in the slums, the camera and script begin to serve the actor's range more than the character as such. Mani Ratnam crafted each shot from this point onwards to highlight the actor's many strengths, even if that meant compromising the script by making everything be about Kamal and not Velu. While the film features a handful of characters here — some named, most not — they are only relevant when in relation to Velu. They lack agency or defined identities when not in his orbit. Even as the movie progresses and we see Velu becoming Dharavi's Nayakkar — inspired by real-life Mumbai mafia don Varadarajan Mudaliar — saving the people, Nayakan doesn't care much to actually show who these people are. They all end up serving merely as contributors to his evolving character arc. The savarna saviour complex here is so pronounced that only the saviour occupies the foreground, while those Mani Ratnam deems in need of saving — members of oppressed communities — are, as usual, relegated to the background, appearing only as part of crowds. Even characters who have names and belong to Dharavi, such as Hussain (MV Vasudeva Rao), the man who raised Velu and meets a tragic end, his daughter Shakila (Tara), and Velu's friend Selvam (Janagaraj), exist solely through their connection to Velu. Although Selvam is almost always by the 'hero's' side and is the only one who has the guts to call him 'Velu' to his face even after he became Nayakkar, he, too, is just a background character with no story of his own. Despite Dharavi having enough people, we also see one 'Iyer' (Delhi Ganesh) appearing out of nowhere and becoming Velu/Nayakkar's source of knowledge. Once Velu becomes 'the chosen one' (self-appointed by the way; no one voted), Mani also cleverly overlooks Velu's illegal businesses, despite the clear historical knowledge that while the dominant caste people may run the operations, it is the marginalised who will ultimately bear the consequences (and they do as well in Nayakan, time and again). 'Naalu perukku udhavumna, edhuvume paavamille (If it helps four people, there's no sin in it)' is the line he keeps repeating. But when the situation demands, he is financially secure enough to send his children, Charumati (Karthika) and Surya (Nizhalgal Ravi), to Madras for safety. What about those without names, identities or financial backing? What about the rest of Dharavi? Nayakan simply doesn't care. Though he is positioned as a saviour, the 'celebration' of which happens in the scene where he refuses to sleep with the underage sex worker Neela (Saranya Ponvannan) after learning she has an exam the next day and wants to study, is he truly one even for his dear ones? Despite knowing her aspirations, Velu soon chains her with a thaali (mangalsutra) without her consent. She lived the rest of her life as a housewife before ultimately being killed by her husband's enemies. Even later, when Charumati questions his system of running a parallel government, Nayakkar insists that he can't stop since he never chose this life of his own free will. 'Are we doing all this because we actually want to? We have no other option, dear,' he tells her. But didn't he? Despite wielding enormous influence, political connections and wealth, we never see him attempting to uplift the broader living conditions of Dharavi's marginalised population, which would have allowed him as well to slowly give up everything. 'I'll buy five ambulances for Dharavi. They won't ply for the rich, only for the poor,' he says at one point. But even after this, we never see Nayakkar stepping back to reflect on or challenge the deeper social stigma against the people of Dharavi. Instead, he grows wealthier by the day, while the marginalised remain his loyal foot soldiers, ever ready to lay down their lives for his protection (they literally do this as well towards the end). So, is there really any doubt left about whether he's a good person or a bad one? While Nayakan presents one of its central themes, 'he who lives by the sword shall perish by the sword', through Velu's gradual downfall, including the loss of his son Surya as well following his wife's murder, Charumati leaving him, and his eventual death on the street after being shot by Inspector Kelkar's son Ajit (Tinnu Anand) whom Velu had been raising ever since he killed Kelkar himself, another question arises: Was the overt humanisation of a man involved in numerous illegal activities really necessary? Although Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972), based on Mario Puzo's novel and an inspiration for Nayakan, also delved into the inner world of mafia bosses, particularly their interpersonal relationships, it did not overtly humanise them. Their moral ambiguity remained intact and unsoftened. However, in Nayakan, partly because the role was played by Kamal Haasan and partly due to the Indian audience's penchant for melodrama and hero worship, Mani Ratnam un/knowingly infused the character with such a level of drama and cues to make the audience subconsciously perceive Nayakkar as the hero. Circling back to the intro, I wouldn't call Nayakan 'peak cinema'. Pandering to a largely savarna audience, who made up the lion's share of the movie-going public at the time since watching new releases regularly was a luxury only the privileged could afford, and to 'Aandavar' fans does not inherently make a film great. At the same time, completely disregarding the masses among whom the story is set is nothing short of ignorance. And no, the film hasn't aged particularly well. That said, Nayakan is undoubtedly a good film, where the blending of words and visuals happens organically and beautifully, with Ilaiyaraaja's music, as always, elevating the entire experience. One of the strongest aspects of Mani Ratnam's script is how efficiently it omits the unnecessary and includes only what is needed to deliver the filmmaker's vision; unlike the current trend of overwriting and over-filming and mindlessly splitting a movie into multiple parts. Kamal Haasan's performance is undoubtedly exceptional, so much so that it has helped mask many of the film's flaws over the years, leading audiences to blindly believe that Nayakan is 'the one'. He won his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance here. Nonetheless, Nayakan proves that just because a movie is good, it doesn't mean it's great or free of flaws. And it's important to analyse cinema critically — to call a spade a spade — and point out its shortcomings and misrepresentations. After all… Cinema cannot exist in a vacuum; it's all about the discussions that follow. In the Cinema Anatomy column, we delve into the diverse layers and dimensions of films, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourses. Anandu Suresh is a Senior sub-editor at Indian Express Online. He specialises in Malayalam cinema, but doesn't limit himself to it and explores various aspects of the art form. He also pens a column titled Cinema Anatomy, where he delves extensively into the diverse layers and dimensions of cinema, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourse. Anandu previously worked with The New Indian Express' news desk in Hyderabad, Telangana. You can follow him on Twitter @anandu_suresh_ and write (or send movie recommendations) to him at ... Read More
