Pahlaj Nihalani Reflects On His Relationship With Govinda, Calls David Dhawan 'Selfish'

Pahlaj Nihalani, a former head of the Central Board of Film Certification, has produced several hit movies such as Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen. Both the movies were helmed by David Dhawan and starred Govinda in the lead. Now, in a recent interview, the producer reflected on his relationship with Govinda and Dhawan and accused the actor of ditching him.

Govinda kaan ka bohot kachcha tha: Pahlaj Nihalani

In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Pahlaj was questioned about his relationship with Govinda and revealed that there was "never a true friendship" between them. He collaborated with the actor on about 3 to 4 movies, out of which 2 were shelved. He revealed that they had started with the shooting but were abruptly halted due to a controversy. Recalling an incident he said, "I waited at the outdoor location in Hyderabad for Govinda but he didn't show up. Pahlaj even reached out to his mother to know the whereabouts of the actor. He hinted that veteran director David Dhawan created misunderstandings between him and Govinda.

He further stated, "When he faced problems, he came to me, and I collaborated with him on a film. When he was struggling with work, I signed him up for a significant project and gave him a big break. Then, when he was out of work again, I offered him Shola aur Shabnam."

Despite the success of two movies - Shola Aur Shabnam and Aankhen - released in 1992 and 1993, respectively, Pahlaj didn't collaborate with Govinda for 19 years until Rangeela Raja was released in 2019.

He is a selfish individual: Pahlaj Nihalani about David Dhawan

Opening up about his relationship with David Dhawan, he called the director selfish and added, "He is a selfish individual who climbs on others' success." Pahlaj collaborated with Dhawan on two blockbuster movies and then never teamed up again.