directed by David Dhawan‘Hero no. 1’ highlighted Govindakarisma kapoor, Kader KhanParesh Rawal, Satish Shah, Tiku Talsania and Shagufta Ali in pivotal roles. Veteran actor Shagufta Ali recently looked back on his time working with Govinda in ‘Hero No. 1′, sharing various memories from the filming of the film. While reminiscing about the experience, he spoke about the cheerful atmosphere on set, Govinda’s dedication to his craft and the one habit that often created challenges during production.The actor said he enjoyed every moment of the shooting schedule and described the experience as one of the memorable phases of his career. As quoted by News18, Shagufta said, “We had a lot of fun, whether Govinda and Karisma were on the set or not. We were on a paid picnic. The outdoor shoot in Ooty was fantastic. We had stayed at Mithun Da’s hotel. When he found out about it, he came to meet us and gave us seafood that he had personally cooked.”
Govinda’s late arrivals became a regular concern
During the interaction, Shagufta also addressed Govinda’s widely discussed habit of arriving on film sets much later than the scheduled reporting time. He explained that while the delays affected filming, they never changed his opinion of him as a person or as an actor.According to Shagufta, Govinda remained one of the most committed performers he had worked with. He said his focus on delivering the perfect take often trumped everything else, even after the director had approved a take.She recalled, “Govinda used to come late to the sets here too. If the shift was at 9 am, he would come at 1 or 2 pm, and never before. That was the only problem with Govinda; otherwise, he was a very nice person. I have done 3-4 films with him. He is a very nice, fun-loving person. Aamir Khan. Mr. David would accept the prey, but he would still insist and apologize to others as well. His eye for perfection was so strong that he didn’t care if the person in front of him was tired.”
Kader Khan did not like delays
Shagufta revealed that repeated delays often frustrated several people on the set, including veteran actor Kader Khan. While he noted that he rarely expressed his displeasure openly, he said that waiting for Govinda became a daily routine during the shoot.Recalling Kader Khan’s reaction, he said, “Kader Khan would get very angry with Govinda for being late – the others would also get angry. We had to wait for him every day. Although he wouldn’t show his anger openly, he would complain about it.”
‘Hero No. 1’ remains a fan favorite
‘Hero No. 1’ became a huge commercial success and remains one of the most popular films of Govinda and Karisma Kapoor’s successful on-screen collaboration. On the professional front, Govinda is gearing up to return to theaters with Roopa, marking his first release in seven years. Meanwhile, Shagufta Ali was last seen in the Hindi drama ’30 Hours Survival: Gauraiya Live’, which released in April 2024.