After Govinda addressed the rift with David Dhawan, director defends actor’s late arrivals on set. Recalls 'unbelievable' moment from Partner

The 1990s saw one of Bollywood’s most successful collaborations between actor Govinda and filmmaker David Dhawan. The duo delivered a string of comedy hits that remain popular even today. Over the years, however, their professional relationship reportedly soured, leading to speculation about a rift between them. Recently, Govinda opened up about their partnership and hinted that while the director was always honest about his work, loyalty may have been missing in their equation, which could have contributed to their eventual fallout.

Amid these discussions, David Dhawan recently spoke about the actor and defended him against long-standing criticism about arriving late on film sets. The director addressed the topic during the grand finale episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show Season 4, where he appeared alongside his son, actor Varun Dhawan.

David Dhawan defends Govinda's arrival late on set

During the conversation on the show, David Dhawan dismissed the criticism surrounding Govinda’s punctuality. According to him, people often complained that the actor used to reach the set late, but he believed such complaints were exaggerated. The director said that many actors arrive late these days, but what truly matters is whether they complete their work properly. He added that Govinda always came to the set, finished his scenes, and ensured the job was done before leaving.



The filmmaker also shared an interesting anecdote from the making of the 2007 comedy film Partner, which starred Govinda alongside Salman Khan. Recalling one particular moment, David Dhawan said that Govinda would sometimes arrive on set and immediately ask for the scene he needed to perform. The director remembered a time when the actor was given a four-page scene.

According to Dhawan, Govinda carefully went through the scene while the crew was preparing the shot. The actor then asked the team to hold off on setting up the camera for a moment. He said, "Don't set it up yet. Do one thing. Here's the scene. Watch me perform. I'll do it in one take. This was in Partner. He did all kinds of acrobatics in that scene; you can't imagine. Then he told me to edit the scene however I wanted. Unbelievable. Govinda is incredible."


The finale episode of the comedy show also featured a tribute to David Dhawan’s filmography.

For the unversed, Govinda and David Dhawan worked together on several popular films over the years, including Hero No. 1, Raja Babu, Saajan Chale Sasural, Haseena Maan Jayegi, and Aankhen. Their collaborations were known for their energetic performances, slapstick humour and memorable songs, which helped define Bollywood comedy in the 1990s.

Meanwhile, David Dhawan is currently looking forward to the release of his upcoming film Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. The movie stars Varun Dhawan alongside Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde and is expected to hit theatres soon.