‘It would be shocking if Govinda arrived on time, but he never gave me such shocks’: Anees Bazmee opens up about dealing with actor’s tardiness

Anees Bazmee opened up about how he dealt with Govinda and Salman Khan's habit of often arriving late on set.

Chennai | November 13, 2024 03:13 PM IST

3 min read

Anees Bazmee opened up about the habit of both Salman Khan and Govinda arriving late on set. (Pic: IMDB)

Anees Bazmee has directed Salman Khan in several films such as No Entry, Ready, and more, and has worked as a screenwriter on iconic Govinda hits such as Shola Aur Shabnam, Deewana Mastana, and Raja Babu. In a recent conversation, Anees opened up about how he deals with the stars’ habit of often arriving late on set, and how he manages to work around it.

Speaking with Mashable India, Anees explained that, given his long experience working with both Salman and Govinda, he doesn’t expect them to be punctual. Instead, he adjusts his schedule accordingly. He shared, “You should understand the working style of the people you are collaborating with. If that suits you, then you work with them. If it doesn’t, then don’t work with them.”

He further elaborated on his approach with Govinda, “It isn’t news or a shock to me that Govinda will come late. I will get a shock if he comes on time, and he doesn’t give me those kinds of shocks. So, since I know that he will come at 12 pm for a 9 am shoot, I complete other tasks by then so that I don’t waste my time. Tuning with the actor is very important.”

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Many actors have spoken about Govinda’s reputation for arriving hours late on set, sometimes even missing work for days. In an earlier chat with the YouTube channel Reviewron Ronak Kotecha, producer Vashu Bhagnani recalled an incident from Hero No. 1 where the entire crew, consisting of 75 people, had to sit idle in Switzerland for three days because Govinda had not even arrived in the country. The team had been waiting for him to show up, but after three days of delays, producer Vashu Bhagnani made a call to Govinda, expressing frustration.

He said, “I called him and asked, ‘If you are not going to come, then we will come back.’ He got upset and said I am coming.” Despite the delay, Vashu noted that when Govinda did arrive, he was incredibly efficient with his work, managing to complete 70 percent of the song in just one day.

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