‘I can’t get my eyes off Govinda’ – Ranveer Singh
Ranveer Singh talks about why working with Govinda was a masterclass in itself!!!
I can give you 50 reasons to watch the film mostly for the Masterclass that Govinda is. Why wouldn’t he do 5 films a year? I have no idea why were we deprived of his immense talent. He is mesmerizing. It’s credit to his mastery over his craft. I have worked with him. I have observed how his method works. He comes to the set and he doesn’t know what the hell you are shooting that day and he doesn’t even care. He will come on the set dressed for the scene. He will ask around for a little background. In five minutes straight, he easily has his lines memorized. And maximum needed 3 takes in the entire film for anything.
From the reaction, you know he has done a fab job. And on the screen its looks even more brilliant. You see the look in his eyes, the nuances he has brought to himself, that’s when you understand what he was doing so simply on set was actually so powerful. You can’t get your eyes off him. When you’re in the same frame as him you know no one is watching you. You stay affixed to Govinda. He is truly magnetic.
This is not something Govinda has never done before and believe me, he is one hell of a villain. He has always been a light hearted hero but the menace he brings to screen is fearsome. His work is sheer brilliance. There is a scene that will go down in acting classes. This is how you take a monologue and graph it. He delivers it with full commitment and conviction. Every sentence is said differently, and he makes it his own. With minimal brief on one of the days, in first take he gave a whole eight minute scene without a cut. The whole unit converged on the sets, we laughed, cried, applauded. He killed that scene and he killed me. I am in the scene too. I will rate Govinda amongst the 10 most fascinating actors in the world. He is no less than Sean Penn and Daniel Day Lewis. Give Govinda a director like Martin Scorsese and you see what he does.
Many of his films geared towards making you laugh, dance, action too and for me he was just too watchable. What he finds cool about Kill Dil is that he never looks at it like a villain. He is a hero! When he comes on the screen, he has that approach of being a hero. He never feels he is wrong. The chameleons in the breed of actors are who I find truly outstanding. I enjoy the other actors as well but the chameleons appeal to me more. No one can ever deny Govinda’s talent, most certainly the most talented actor of his time. It’s also a function of characterization.
Films in his times were made differently. The whole gamut of media was different. Television was not that big, fewer films were being made, internet was obsolete. I started 3 and half years ago and I see a change in movie marketing techniques every four months. Instagram has an impact on movie marketing. Digital technology affects us. That changes how films are made. It is a very exciting time to be a part of the industry. The actors who have worked in 90s, are more forthcoming to embrace the change and have a much broader view. The audience is also accepting the non-traditional films. The landmark year was the year I debuted when a film like Band Baaja Baarat and Love Sex Aur Dhoka too found success despite being an unusual film. It’s getting better and better. When a Haider does well, you know that there is not only place for popcorn films, but other interesting content also has an audience.
– By Priyanka Jain