What comes to mind when someone says the 90s? The sudden globalization of Bollywood, or perhaps their questionable fashion choices. Well for me, the 90s are synonymous with iconic movie stars, one of them being Govinda, the man who defied the “Macho and Angry” stereotype of the ‘90s hero’ with his humorous, silly yet charming disposition. He was easy on the eyes, and relatable to the common folk in an authentic fashion, making him a household name, and his songs some of the best hits to date.
Yeh duniya ek bus stop hai aur ladki ek bus … Peeche bhaago toh saala chute jaati hai … wahin khade raho samne se doosri aati hai.
Amongst the fondest memories from my childhood are watching his movies together with my family on Doordarshan or on VCR nights with cousins and friends on special occasions, and singing our hearts out to ‘Kisi Disco Mein Jayein’ while trying to mimic his snappy dance moves which he made look effortless. Even if one could train themselves to move like him, no one could match his expressive face that brought all those moves to life, he seemed to outshine almost every leading lady who shared the screen with him, and made a great pairing with the glamourous Raveena Tandon.
If you have lived through the 90s, there was no birthday party or dance competition without ‘Akhiyon Se Goli Maarein’ being played at least once, the choreography, the music, the moves, and most importantly the vibrant outfits, another stand-out feature of every Govinda-starrer. He wore wacky patterns, and mismatched pants and made them look vogue, a real trendsetter, Govinda’s fashion sense influenced scores of young adults who wanted to experiment with their own wardrobes, and in a way, he destigmatized having an eccentric taste.
The dynamic duo of Govinda and David Dhawan flipped the script on what it meant to be a masculine hero and made him lovable and aspirational. A true legend, Govinda has been entertaining people of every age and winning millions of hearts even today. Some might find him loud and tacky and might say his movies are all the same, to them I would like to say, “Tujhe mirchi lagi toh main kya karu?!”