Salman Khan inspired me to get fit: Govinda

He can still hold a crowd with his contagious energy. And on his recent visit to the Shri Ram College of Commerce, where he turned up two hours late, Govinda proved that even at 54, his charm is intact. As he grooved to his hit number Do You Want A Partner from the 2007 film Partner, that also starred Salman Khan, Govinda reminisced how Sallu inspired him to turn fit.

“I remember that while shooting the beach sequence in Partner, there’s a scene where we are walking out of the sea and Salman makes me suck in my tummy. That inspired me to go ahead and actually get fitter so I could return as a hero,” said the actor as he spoke at the SRCC Business Conclave.

Besides all the Govinda-esque fun, he also gave out some valuable tips from his personal life to the audience, consisting of students. “I

have never believed in the number game. I never got any big awards and never bought awards,” he said, adding, “Everyone starts from zero. Being successful requires you to look beyond the troubles; beyond the money and that is exactly what real heroes do.”

He also spoke about the importance of spirituality in his life, saying, “I have so much energy because I chant the Gayatri Mantra for three hours, a practice I have been doing for a very long time. It gives me immense energy and keeps me calm even under stress... that’s why I can go on when others may fall out of tiredness (laughed). My mother introduced me to the practice of chanting Gayatri Mantra and the power of it.”

While his wisdom nuggets were accepted with claps and cheers, he also obliged for pictures, danced to his hits and even took requests from the crowd for popular dialogues of his movies.