On David Dhawan’s 74th birthday, we rewind to the unstoppable 90s era when his blockbuster pairing with Govinda ruled the box office!
Mention 90s comedy films, and one name instantly comes to mind—David Dhawan! The celebrated filmmaker turns 74 today. He began his journey in the film industry as an editor with the 1984 film Saaransh and made his directorial debut in 1989 with ‘Gola Barood’. After delivering notable works like ‘Aag Ka Gola’, ‘Jurrat’, and ‘Swarg’, Dhawan found his true calling in comedy. His 1993 blockbuster ‘Aankhen’ cemented his reputation, earning him a Filmfare Best Director nomination. The 90s also gifted audiences a beloved duo - Govinda in David Dhawan’s films, a combination fans eagerly awaited. On his birthday, we take a nostalgic trip through some of the duo’s most memorable hits.
Directed by David Dhawan, ‘Aankhen’ was an action-comedy that saw Govinda in a hilarious double role, supported by an ensemble cast including Chunky Pandey, Raageshwari, Ritu Shivpuri, Shilpa Shirodkar, Kader Khan, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Shakti Kapoor, and Raj Babbar. The film emerged as the highest-grossing Indian release of 1993. At the 39th Filmfare Awards, it bagged four nominations including Best Director for David Dhawan and Best Actor for Govinda.
Right after ‘Aankhen’, the duo delivered yet another hit with ‘Raja Babu’, and from there, there was no turning back. This melodrama-comedy starred Govinda, Karisma Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor, Kader Khan, Aruna Irani, Prem Chopra, and Gulshan Grover. Inspired by the 1992 Tamil film ‘Rasukutty’, the story revolves around Raja, who strives to become a better son after his would-be bride, Madhu, rejects him, and he discovers that he was adopted from a poor family.
A remake of the Tamil film ‘Chinna Mapillai’, ‘Coolie No. 1’ is a quintessential masala entertainer featuring Govinda, Karisma Kapoor, Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Harish Kumar, and others. Govinda’s performance earned him the Star Screen Special Jury Award as the “Performer of the Decade.” Over time, the film has achieved cult status in Hindi cinema, widely regarded as a classic and one of the greatest Hindi films ever made.
(Credit: Rotten Tomatoes)
The action-comedy ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’, inspired by ‘The Comedy of Errors’ and the 1995 American film ‘Bad Boys’, emerged as one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of 1998, even while competing with Karan Johar’s cult classic ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’. Notably, it was the first Hindi film to be shot in Ramoji Film City. Featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda in dual roles, the film also starred Raveena Tandon, Ramya Krishnan, Anupam Kher, Paresh Rawal, and others.
(Credit: Times Now)
The romantic comedy ‘Saajan Chale Sasural’, starring Govinda, Tabu, Karisma Kapoor, Kader Khan, and Satish Kaushik, is a remake of the Telugu film ‘Allari Mogudu’. Centered around the theme of polygamy, the film was a major box-office success. Staying true to the tried-and-tested formula, it placed Govinda in a series of hilarious situations designed to deliver maximum laughs to the audience.
