- By Swati Singh
- Wed, 19 Mar 2025 12:15 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Veteran actor Adi Irani has had a storied career in Bollywood, with a plethora of memorable roles that have left an indelible mark on the industry. One of his most iconic performances was as Tiger Tadipaar in the comedy classic Anari No 1, which starred Govinda and Raveena Tandon. In a recent interview with Filmymantra, Adi Irani reminisced about his experiences working with some of Bollywood's biggest stars, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Govinda. Speaking fondly of Govinda, Adi revealed that Govinda would change scenes so as to make himself shine over others.
Adi Irani calls Govinda 'Insecure'
Adi Irani said, “He would read the scene and then would go on to change everything, and not just his role but also the way people were acting around him in a scene. He would try to change the scene in a way that would help him shine over others in the frame.”
Calling him ‘insecure’, Irani said, “He wasn’t convinced that I could play the role of Tiger Tadipaar in the film and suggested adding two other villains alongside me, but once he saw my look for the character, he felt confident that I could pull it off.”
Adi revealed that he and his friends used to make fun of Govinda’s dancing style. “While we were not together from day one, our struggle in the industry started almost together. He used to visit the studio where I learnt dancing, and at that point, me and my friends used to make fun of his style of dancing. We had no idea that one day that particular style would blow up and he would be known for it; we were fools for laughing at him," he said.
For the unversed, Govinda began his career as an action and dancing hero in the 1980s with hits like Love 86 and Ilzaam. He later reinvented himself as a comic hero in the 1990s, starring in successful films like Shola Aur Shabnam, Aankhen, Raja Babu and Coolie No. 1. His comedic roles earned him several awards, including the Filmfare Special Award and Best Comedian Award.