Raveena Tandon defends Govinda, says industry isn't utilizing his unique skills

Throughout the vibrant era of the 1990s, the dynamic duo of Raveena Tandon and Govinda graced Bollywood with their electrifying chemistry, delivering chart-topping hits and iconic dance numbers. However, as time progressed, the trajectory of Govinda's career witnessed a downturn. In a recent interview with The Lallantop, Raveena Tandon opened up about her experiences working with Govinda and shed light on the challenges he faced in the later stages of his career.

Defending her 90s co-star, Tandon expressed, “The kind of films where Chi Chi’s talent can be perfectly used aren’t being made anymore. I don’t think this industry has ever seen an actor as talented as Chi Chi. I have never seen an actor who can make the audience laugh and cry in the same scene. I was in awe of him."

Tandon highlighted Govinda's unique ability to effortlessly transition a scene from comedy to emotional, emphasizing, "He could transform a comedic scene into an emotional one so effortlessly. Everything I know about comic timing I’ve learned from him. Nobody can compare to him."

However, Govinda's frequency in films dwindled in the late 2000s and 2010s, with sporadic appearances in movies like Kill Dill, Happy Ending, and Deewana Main Deewana. His last outing in the 2019 film Rangeela Raja met with both critical and commercial challenges.

In a candid moment with Film Companion, Raveena reminisced about the close-knit camaraderie among actors in the 90s. Reflecting on the era, she shared, “We knew everyone’s life stories, which hero we were working with, who is he having an affair with, whose wife beat up whom, we knew everything about each other. That is bond, whoever started in the 90s clan has even now. We are all friends and we all stand by each other. We keep encouraging each other, whether it's Madhuri, me, Neelam, Sonali, or Shilpa."

Stepping into 2023, Raveena Tandon remains active in the entertainment arena. Having last appeared in the thriller film One Friday Night alongside Milind Soman, she is currently gearing up for the drama thriller web series Karmma Calling. Directed by Ruchi Narain, the series boasts a star-studded cast, including Namrata Sheth, Varun Sood, and Vikramjeet Virk, and is scheduled for release on January 26 on Disney+ Hotstar.

Adding to her repertoire, Raveena is set to feature in the action comedy Welcome to the Jungle, sharing the screen with Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, and Disha Patani.