Himani Shivpuri: Govinda Was Known For Late Timings, Aruna Ji Got Him To Sets
In a celebrated acting career spanning decades, veteran star Himani Shivpuri has worked with some of the biggest stars of Hindi cinema – from Govinda to Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and more.
It won’t be wrong to say that Himani Shivpuri, who was a part of several 90s films, has had a close view of the industry and the personalities that shaped it.
In a conversation with ANI, she reflected on her experiences working with Govinda, sharing a light-hearted anecdote about the veteran Aruna Irani having to go to the actor’s house to bring him to the shoot.
“Chichi (Govinda) was known for his late timings. I was doing a film which Aruna Irani was producing, and her husband, Kuku Kohli, was directing. So we were flying to Hyderabad. I had reached the airport, Raveena had reached the airport, Aruna Ji was there, and Kuku Kohli was there. And Chichi was also supposed to come because we had a shooting the next day. He was not there, and Aruna Ji was constantly looking for him. Eventually, she sent us off, and she went to Chichi’s house. Aruna Ji, being Aruna Ji, got him,” Shivpuri shared.
The actor also recalled how filmmaker David Dhawan would be upset with Govinda for being late to the sets of ‘Hero No 1’ in Switzerland.
“But once he used to come on the set, he was amazing, brilliant, and we had a wonderful time. He is such a wonderful actor; he is improvising, and I am also improvising,” she added.
Himani Shivapuri has worked alongside Govinda in popular 90s films like ‘Deewana Mastana’, ‘Hero No 1’, ‘Hadh Kar Di Aapne’, and Anari No 1′.
The veteran actor also opened up on Govinda’s much-awaited comeback to the big screen, stating that the ‘Haseena Maan Jaayegi’ star struggled to reinvent himself in the industry.
“Chichi is such a brilliant actor. He’s a wonderful dancer, what timing, and he has also done serious roles, but I think he couldn’t reinvent himself, which is so sad. Govinda is brilliant in his way. But that is the thing. They should realise that the public’s memory is quite fickle and that they get bored with seeing the same thing. You can’t keep doing that. So an actor has to reinvent himself all the time to survive for a longer period,” Himani added. (ANI)
