Govinda in Naseeb (1997)

Have you ever thought that you would be impressed with an actor when you thought there's no way he would impressed you?

Govinda did.

I am an avid film-watcher and been watching films of many languages (Malay, English, Cantonese, Hindi, Arabic, Spanish, German, etc) and during a visit to a friend's house, I stumbled upon a VCD - Naseeb, by Govinda. The packaging and poster on the VCD doesn't impress me at all, but my friend said Govinda was outstanding. I thought he's a comedian, there's no way he could impress me. 

At some point, I put Govinda in the same league with Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav or Anupam Kher; all who play only the sidekicks of the dashing heroes. As much as I enjoy Govinda in Partner, Raja Babu and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, I thought there's no way Govinda could bring a character of a drunkard, suicide-inclined and crying man. He's always on my list of second class actor. To be truthful, no one in Hindi film industry has ever impress me since Raj Kapoor in Mera Naam Joker.

But the curiosity won over me. I wanted to see how Govinda would stand up and deliver the character. I have not seen him crying, I have not seen him drunk, I have not seen him failed to win the girl he loved, so I brought the VCD home and watched it.

And finally, I hereby, frankly announcing that I am impressed with Govinda, and admit my total admiration, beyond whatever I had felt for Shah Rukh Khan or even Raj Kapoor.

In Naseeb, Govinda played Krishna Prasad, a common mechanic who fell in love with Pooja (Mamta Kulkarni) a girl from rich family. They decided to get married, but Pooja's father was not impressed with Krishna, so Krishna decided to go away for several years to find wealth and asked Pooja to wait for him. Pooja waited for five years, during which Pooja's father burnt all letters from Krishna for her and denied his phone calls. The father actually wanted to separate them. The father then wrote a fake letter, claiming that it came from Krishna. The letter made Pooja believed that Krishna has forgotten her and asked her to reciprocate. Broken hearted, Pooja married another man, Deepak. Krishna returned on the day Pooja got married and saw her walking around the fire with Deepak. He was so broken hearted as he has got the wealth and felt Pooja was unfaithful. He turned into a drunkard and even tried to commit suicide, but was saved by Kader Khan who stood by him as a faithful friend. Soon after Deepak got a job in Krishna's company and Krishna found out that his lover girl was married to his employee, Deepak. He was so unhappy and provided with bad-tongued Shakti Kapoor, he began to accused Deepak of stealing money from his company and Deepak was thrown in a jail. In an attempt to free her husband, Pooja went to Krishna, during which she confessed her commitment as a wife to Deepak. Krishna realized that she was no longer in love with him as much as he was insanely in love with her, so he gave up. Deepak was freed, but he accused Pooja of having an affair with Krishna, which was why Krishna freed him. Pooja ran away from home and rescued by Kader Khan who confronted Pooja's father for not delivering Krishna's letters to Pooja, causing three hearts to be severely upset. Kader Khan went to Krishna, asking him to rectify the problem and made peace between Pooja and Deepak. Krishna loved Pooja deeply, and agreed. He took Pooja to Deepak and explained everything, but Deepak was not convinced. At the end, Krishna shot himself with a gun and before he died, he confessed his ever-strong love for Pooja, but too bad he's not made for her, and asked Deepak to trust Pooja. He died then.

It was a sad story from beginning till the end for Krishna. The part I love the most was when Krishna being tipsy (he was tipsy all the time) and told his story to Kader Khan and cried in his arms. He was convincing, up to a point, I believe he was truly in love with Pooja and was in great pain and suffering. 

Another great scene was when Pooja went to Krishna in his house to get Deepak freed. Krishna was seated on his chair and he looked at Pooja with eyes filled with tears and he slapped Pooja for accusing him of wanting to sleep with her.

Govinda was outstanding. He played the character so well that I believe he was really sad. His drunkard acting was so real, that I am more convinced with Krishna in Naseeb compared to Shah Rukh Khan in Devdas. I believe in Krishna's sadness than Devdas's sadness. Above all, I never thought Govinda could ever play this kind of character, especially when he played the toothy and grinny Pyare Mohan in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan and mother's boy in Raja Babu or social-retarded Bhaskar in Partner.

I watched Naseeb for the third time now. Govinda is such a treat to watch. It never gets bored. I would prefer him without the moustache, but I prefer his moustache than typical unshaved face of Hrithik Roshan or John Abraham when they're sad. We normally see the heroines cried on bed for her lover, but Govinda cried on bed and still looks convincing, more than all the heroines who has ever did the same scene.

All songs by Nadeem-Shravan was great. I can't really tell which is my favourite because I have been listening to them all for weeks now. But Govinda's dance in Chanda Sitare was awesome; he danced like he was the only one who can dance and I cried along with Govinda in Shikwa. I cried along too when he cried in Kader Khan's arms. Basically I cried along with him and felt his sadness throughout the movie. This is the second movie I cried on after Amitabh Bachan and Rani Mukherjee's Black. No film ever managed to do the same on me so far.

Govinda is great. He's now on my new list, the list way above the list of first class actor. And mind you, he's the only one in that list. I am going to look for his villain portrayal in Shikari now.