Govinda, who has had his own journey of ups and downs in Bollywood, feels there are four or five people who dictate the whole business now. Talking about the ongoing outsider vs insider debate, Govinda opens up about his own struggle in the film industry despite both his parents being actors. 

“There was a gap of 33 years between them leaving the film industry and me becoming an actor at 21. So by the time I entered the industry, many new producers had come who didn’t know much about my lineage. I had to wait for hours to meet them. I understood why they’d talk or behave in a certain way but never let it come in between me and my art,” he recounts. 

Though Govinda tasted success quite early on in his career, he confessed that many thought he wouldn’t be able to make it at all. “I’ve been told this on my face. But I knew even the likes of Raj Kapoor ji, Jeetendra ji, Amitabh Bachchan ji, Vinod Khanna ji and Rajesh Khanna ji went through a lot, too. In this industry, you need to have the right perspective. Either you work hard, or pay heed to what people say about you,” he asserted, adding that even when he joined politics, “People said it went against the actor within me. But that’s not correct because after that, I did films that worked.”

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Being a part of an industry with cut-throat competition, the actors are aware that one can’t let success get to their head. He explained, “Success at times makes you harsh and doesn’t let you progress. From my experience, I can say that having a graceful approach helps. Film is a form of art and somewhere we’ve turned it into a business. Artistes are human beings, not products. Accept those who have merit. This will also help those who aren’t as talented, and they’ll work harder.” 

“Earlier whoever was talented, got work. Every film would get equal opportunity in theatres. But now, there are four or five people who dictate the whole business. They decide if they want to let films of those who aren’t close to them, release properly or not. Some of my good films also didn’t get the right kind of release. But, things are changing now,” he said.

Amid the ongoing nepotism debate, he spoke about his daughter Tina Ahuja being a part of the film industry. “I’ve never spoken much about her. Had I done that, hopefully things would have been different. She’s charting her own path and will rise whenever her time comes,” concluded the actor.

(Source: Hindustan Times)