Most people would imagine that he slips effortlessly into every character that he plays in his movies, but matinee idol Govinda, insists that it's not always such a cakewalk for him. "I need to work on each role thoroughly," he says. "I never walk onto a set unprepared," he adds.It's necessary to keep the broader picture in mind, while working on a role, Govinda explains. "I don't work on my character in isolation. At the back of my mind I try to fit him into the canvas of the film." Illustrating his point with an example, he says "it's no point coming up with a really funny character with hilarious dialogues if the film is a serious one." It is important for the character to blend with the subject of the film, he believes.There are some roles he tackles instinctively too, the actor admits. "But being spontaneous doesn't mean being unprepared," he attempts to explain. "Before I go to work each morning, I think of the film as a whole, and then the character that I play in it. Often when I reach the setsI am expected to perform a scene I haven't rehearsed in advance, so I just react naturally. But at the back of my mind, I know I'm performing within the parameters of the character I play."He isn't always satisfied with the way he's portrayed each part. "I tend to find faults even in roles that have been widely appreciated," he says. "I guess as time goes by, one improves considerably, and one is able to spot faults even in a performance that seemed fine when one did it." Among the roles he's particularly proud of, he says, are the ones he played in Hatya, Coolie No 1 and Hero No 1. There are less succesful films that he stands by too. "Public perception and a critic's judgement is not always similar to what an actor himself feels," Govinda insists. "But it's important to satisfy both the public and the critics. Or else they're not going to want to watch you on screen anymore."- RAJEEV MASAND
