Govinda Made Hero No 1 Crew Wait In Switzerland For Three Days, Says Producer: 'He Got Upset And...'

During the 1990s, Govinda reached the heights of his career, delivering one hit after another. However, within the film industry, it was known that punctuality wasn’t his strong suit. Producer Vashu Bhagnani, known for working with Govinda on successes like Hero No 1 and the original Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, recently recalled an incident from a shoot in Switzerland. Govinda failed to show up on set for three days, but when he did arrive, he managed to complete most of his work within a single day.

In a chat with Reviewron’s YouTube channel, Ronak Kotecha, Vashu reflected on Govinda’s reputation for being late, saying that despite such criticisms, he personally had a positive working relationship with the actor. “People can say whatever about Govinda but I have a great track record with him and he has been very nice to me. Sometimes he was two hours late, or one hour early but he always finished the work,” he said.

Vashu Bhagnani remembered an incident from the filming of Hero No 1. The entire crew of 75 people, waited in Switzerland for three days because Govinda hadn’t arrived yet. Vashu eventually called the actor and said, “If you are not going to come, then we will come back”. He added, “He got upset and said I am coming. He landed at 6 am. I went to pick him up at the airport. He sat in the van and we were not talking to each other for 10-15 minutes. Then he says ‘I want to shave’ and I thought where we would find a place that’s open at 6 am. I took him to the petrol pump. We got a basic razor for one euro or something. In the bathroom there, he shaved quickly. At 7:30, he gave the first shot. It was the number 1 song of the film. He finished 70 per cent of the song in one day. He wasn’t there for three days but he finished 70 per cent of it in one day. That’s worth appreciating.”

The film was a big hit in 1997.