Govinda Turns 63 on December 21, the Comedy Star Who Ruled Hindi Cinema Dance Floors

Illustration: AI-generated with Pollinations (FLUX), free to use

Govinda turns 63 on December 21. In the late 1980s and through the 1990s he became one of Hindi cinema's biggest comedy and dance stars, with a style that was broad, physical and easy to copy. For many viewers he was the reason to go to the cinema on a Friday.

Photo: Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hero No. 1 (1997), directed by David Dhawan, is the film people quote most. He plays a bumbling hero who is always one step behind the trouble, and the physical comedy is pitched just right for a family audience.

Photo: Bollywood Hungama, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coolie No. 1 (1995) and Raja Babu (1994) were also Dhawan films, and both show how well he worked with a director who loved slapstick. His timing is at its best when a scene looks like it is about to fall apart, and then he saves it with a single look.

Photo: Newstar.Melody, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

He was also one of the most imitated dancers of his generation. His steps have been copied at weddings, school functions and talent shows for decades. Some of the moves look simple on screen, but they are hard to do well, which is why so many people try.

Photo: CreativoCamaal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

What is your favourite Govinda film? I would pick Hero No. 1 for pure energy, but Raja Babu makes me laugh every time, and I still cannot explain why.