Sallu-Govinda & phoren babe!

Govinda's political innings might be under siege, but there's no denying the fact that his career as an actor is getting back on an even keel. Besides bagging a plum role in Aparna Sen's film, he is also a part of two other very important projects.

"I'm starting David Dhawan's next, with Salman bhai next month. People have been speculating about my friendship with David. Our well-wishers would love to see us fall apart. But sorry, we never stopped being friends. He was doing his own thing and I mine. Now, we'll hopefully recreate the dhamaka of our earlier films."

In Nikhil Advani's Salaam-e-Ishq, Govinda is paired with South African actress Shanon Esra.

"This isn't the first time I'm being paired opposite a foreigner. If you remember, I had made a guest appearance with Samantha Fox in Rock Dancer, for a song and dance. I'm really looking forward to working with Shanon. We did a photo-session together last week, and it turned out well."

The controversy over his alleged Dawood connection notwithstanding, Govinda is positive about his career. "I'm very happy with the films that I've signed. I guess some people don't like the idea of seeing me back in films."