Throwback Tales | Stardom Or Ego, What Was The Reason Behind Govinda And David Dhawan's Split After 17 Blockbuster Movies?

Govinda and David Dhawan created a golden era in Bollywood during the 1980s and 90s with their dynamic partnership as an actor-director duo. From Coolie No. 1, Hero No. 1, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan to Haseena Maan Jayegi, the duo gave us timeless classics that became commercial successes. Together, they delivered 17 hit movies, shaping the childhood of every generation. There was a time when Govinda's comic timing and effortless dance moves, blended with David's unique directorial style, gave rise to a genre, Bollywood comedy. However, despite their immense success, the once-unbreakable actor-director jodi drifted apart due to several reasons. Govinda once revealed that David's remark about him asking too many questions and even suggesting he take on small roles led to a crack in their bond.

Let's dive deep into the reasons behind the fallout between the two and how industry members reacted to the news of this iconic jodi's split.

Govinda Vs David Dhawan: Creative Clash Over 'Second Lead'

The rift between Govinda and David Dhawan reportedly began when the director advised the actor to take on 'second lead' roles and follow trends set by stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar. In 2024, Govinda's wife Sunita, shed light on the reason behind the fallout that created differences between the two. During the podcast Timeout with Ankit, she revealed, "According to me, heroes should know when their time is up. You were the top star of the 90s, but if you still want to live in the 90s world, that’s not going to work. David would have told him that he should do second lead roles as well like Amitabh Bachchan or Akshay Kumar had done."

She added, "Maybe Govinda didn’t like the idea of being a second lead, because in the 90s he only delivered solo hits with David. So maybe he couldn’t take it, that ‘why should I be second to Akshay or whatever’, so they had differences on that. I don’t think David was wrong and Govinda was also right in his place, because he had never done a second lead role before."

Why Did Govinda Feel Sidelined By David Dhawan?

According to reports, Govinda felt sidelined by David when the latter went ahead with Chashme Baddoor starring Rishi Kapoor, despite having previously discussed the subject with Govinda. The film was released in 2013.

Earlier, during a conversation with Rajat Sharma on his show Aap Ki Adalat, Govinda opened up about his decision to stop working with David after collaborating on 17 hit films together. He revealed, "When I completed 17 films with him, I told him the subject of Chashme Baddoor and he started the film with Rishi Kapoor. And when he was shooting the film, I called him and he said, 'Tu sun toh mein kaise film bana raha hoon.' Then I said, 'Tu kar kya rahaa hai, mujhe kehta toh... subject bhi utha lia'."

After this, the tension between them escalated. However, the final showdown came when Govinda overheard David's comments about him during a phone call. Govinda shared, "After I left politics, there was a change in me. I told my secretary to keep the phone speaker on, so that I could listen to what he (David Dhawan) was saying. I heard David saying, 'Chi-Chi (Govinda's nickname) is questioning a lot. I do not want to work with Govinda anymore. Tell him to do some small bit roles.' His words hurt me, and I decided never to work with him."

Govinda Claimed 'David Is Under Someone's influence'

In the same interview, the actor stated, "After 4-5 months, I again rang him up just to find out if he would give me a guest appearance in his film. He then never rang me back. I am revealing this in public after so many years. I think he is under somebody's influence. I do not think he is that same David Dhawan who I used to know.'

Were External Influences Cause Of Govinda And David's Split?

According to Govida's wife, the Influence of close advisors, who echoed the same opinions, reinforced his reluctance to adapt to changing industry norms and trends. Sunita once revealed, "The problem is that ek hero ke aas pass chaar chamche hote hai (Heroes have yes men around them), they feed narrative into the head that you are a hero and must only do those parts. But that doesn’t work; you must be with the trend."

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