Govinda Indebted to Salman for what he did for Him

"I knew I'd never work with Salman again. I don't think Partner 2 will ever happen."

Senior actor Govinda is set to make another comeback with Aagaya Hero, 30 years after he debuted in Bollywood with Ilzaam (1986). A failed stint in politics, and a long lull in cinema have him admit that things aren't going great for him. And while he has received some support from industry folk, he says philosophically, "If your time is not right, why play the blame game? You have to start all over again."

Considered one of the most underrated actors, Govinda's last two films, Kill Dil (2014) and Happy Ending (2014), bombed. "I have reconciled with it. I can only hope things will improve," he says.

The current state is a surprise because the actor made a successful first comeback in 2007 with the hugely popular comedy film, Partner, where the comic timing shared with Salman Khan earned accolades. There may have been chatter about a sequel to the film, but Govinda says, "I knew I'd never work with Salman again. I don't think Partner 2 will ever happen." Broaching a subject that's tricky, Govinda discusses camps in Bollywood; powerful coteries led by the most influential actors and directors who decide who gets left out in the cold. Although admitting that he knew he wouldn't survive in Salman's camp for long, he adds, "At the same time, I am indebted to him for what he did for me."

In 2014, Govinda was reportedly set to star in a Mahesh Manjrekar film produced by Salman, but the project didn't take off. Apparently, Chi Chi did not want the role and Salman had taken to social media to coax him. "I don't want to get into the reasons [behind the shelving]. It's just that Salman and I have studied the same subject differently. We belong to two different schools of thought. Once Rajinikanth said, 'Do not do what your heart does not want to'. I believe in it." It's possibly why when Govinda hears that young star Varun Dhawan is being compared to him, he hopes Varun "doesn't become another Govinda. I had to face a lot of hardships. Today's youngsters will not understand it. Varun is the son of a filmmaker. He is young, educated. He can carve a niche for himself."