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Govinda (born Govind Arun Ahuja, 21 December 1963) is an Indian actor and a former politician. Govinda has received five Filmfare Award nominations and four Zee Cine Award, winning two Filmfare Awards including a Special Jury Award.
Making his debut in Ilzaam in 1986, he has appeared in over 120 Hindi films of the Bollywood industry. In June 1999, Govinda was voted as the tenth greatest star of stage or screen of the last thousand years by BBC News Online users. He has collaborated with director and friend David Dhawan in 17 movies
His earlier films in the 1980s were in a variety of genres such as family drama, action and romantic. In the 1990s he gained recognition as a comedy actor playing a mischievous young NCC cadet in the romantic movie Shola Aur Shabnam (1992) opposite the late Divya Bharti. He played leading roles in several commercially successful comedy films in the 1990s such as Aankhen(1993), Raja Babu(1994), Coolie No. 1 (1995), Hero No. 1 (1997) and Haseena Maan Jayegi (1999). For Coolie No. 1(1995), he acquired him a Filmfare Award for Best Actor nomination. For Haseena Maan Jayegi he earned the Filmfare Best Comedian Award. He has successfully played dual roles in movies like Jaan Se Pyaara (1992), Aankhen (1993), Hathkadi (1995) and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998).
After a period of box office flops in the 2000s, his recent commercial successes have been Bhagam Bhag (2006) and Partner (2007) and Life Partner (2010).
In addition to film acting, he is a member of the Indian National Congress Party. He was elected as the seventh Member of Parliament for the Mumbai North Constituency of Maharashtra, India in the 14th Lok Sabha elections in 2004, after defeating Ram Naik of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In the 2009 General Elections, he opted out of politics to concentrate more on films. However he continues to have political favor from Congress Party. His constituency was succeeded by Sanjay Nirupam (also from Congress).
Govinda’s father, Arun Ahuja, was born in pre-partition Gujranwala, Punjab, British India (in present-day Pakistan) on 26 January 1917. He studied in an engineering college at Lahore. Veteran producer Mehboob Khan brought him to Mumbai in 1937 and cast him in Ek Hi Raasta as the leading man. Arun was notable for acting in Mehboob Khan's Aurat (1940). Govinda's mother, Nazeem who was Muslim had converted to Hinduism and adopted the name Nirmala Devi. Arun and Nirmala first met during the making of the film Savera, in which they were cast opposite each other. They married in 1941.
The only film Ahuja ever produced was a flop. Unable to bear the loss, his health failed. The family, living in a bungalow on Mumbai's upmarket Carter Road, later moved to Virar — a northern Mumbai suburb, where Govinda was born. The youngest of six children, his pet name Chi Chi means little finger in Punjabi, the language they speak at home. Since his father was unable to work, Nirmala Devi brought up the children through hard times in Mumbai.
He studied at Annasaheb Vartak College in Vasai, Maharashtra. He graduated in commerce.His father suggested films as he himself was associated with films. Around this time, Govinda saw the film Disco Dancer and dance became his obsession. He practiced for hours and circulated a promo of himself on a VHS cassette. Soon a fertilizer commercial came his way, followed by an Allwyn ad, finally his very first leading role in Tan-Badan, which was to be directed by his uncle Anand. He started shooting for his next film Love 86 in June 1985. By mid-July, he had signed 40 others.
Making his debut in Ilzaam in 1986, he has appeared in over 120 Hindi films of the Bollywood industry. In June 1999, Govinda was voted as the tenth greatest star of stage or screen of the last thousand years by BBC News Online users. He has collaborated with director and friend David Dhawan in 17 movies
His earlier films in the 1980s were in a variety of genres such as family drama, action and romantic. In the 1990s he gained recognition as a comedy actor playing a mischievous young NCC cadet in the romantic movie Shola Aur Shabnam (1992) opposite the late Divya Bharti. He played leading roles in several commercially successful comedy films in the 1990s such as Aankhen(1993), Raja Babu(1994), Coolie No. 1 (1995), Hero No. 1 (1997) and Haseena Maan Jayegi (1999). For Coolie No. 1(1995), he acquired him a Filmfare Award for Best Actor nomination. For Haseena Maan Jayegi he earned the Filmfare Best Comedian Award. He has successfully played dual roles in movies like Jaan Se Pyaara (1992), Aankhen (1993), Hathkadi (1995) and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998).
After a period of box office flops in the 2000s, his recent commercial successes have been Bhagam Bhag (2006) and Partner (2007) and Life Partner (2010).
In addition to film acting, he is a member of the Indian National Congress Party. He was elected as the seventh Member of Parliament for the Mumbai North Constituency of Maharashtra, India in the 14th Lok Sabha elections in 2004, after defeating Ram Naik of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In the 2009 General Elections, he opted out of politics to concentrate more on films. However he continues to have political favor from Congress Party. His constituency was succeeded by Sanjay Nirupam (also from Congress).
Govinda’s father, Arun Ahuja, was born in pre-partition Gujranwala, Punjab, British India (in present-day Pakistan) on 26 January 1917. He studied in an engineering college at Lahore. Veteran producer Mehboob Khan brought him to Mumbai in 1937 and cast him in Ek Hi Raasta as the leading man. Arun was notable for acting in Mehboob Khan's Aurat (1940). Govinda's mother, Nazeem who was Muslim had converted to Hinduism and adopted the name Nirmala Devi. Arun and Nirmala first met during the making of the film Savera, in which they were cast opposite each other. They married in 1941.
The only film Ahuja ever produced was a flop. Unable to bear the loss, his health failed. The family, living in a bungalow on Mumbai's upmarket Carter Road, later moved to Virar — a northern Mumbai suburb, where Govinda was born. The youngest of six children, his pet name Chi Chi means little finger in Punjabi, the language they speak at home. Since his father was unable to work, Nirmala Devi brought up the children through hard times in Mumbai.
He studied at Annasaheb Vartak College in Vasai, Maharashtra. He graduated in commerce.His father suggested films as he himself was associated with films. Around this time, Govinda saw the film Disco Dancer and dance became his obsession. He practiced for hours and circulated a promo of himself on a VHS cassette. Soon a fertilizer commercial came his way, followed by an Allwyn ad, finally his very first leading role in Tan-Badan, which was to be directed by his uncle Anand. He started shooting for his next film Love 86 in June 1985. By mid-July, he had signed 40 others.
His first released film was Ilzaam (1986), a box office success and the fifth biggest hit of 1986. The film established him as a dancing star. He acted in a string of movies after that with mixed success. Most of the films he appeared in during the 1980s were in the action, romance or family drama genres. He was often paired opposite actress Neelam and together they appeared in several hit films such as Love 86 (1986), Khudgarz (1987) and his brother Kirti Kumar's directorial, Hatya (1988). He had success with family drama films such as Dariya Dil (1988), Jeete Hain Shaan Se (1988) and Hum (1991) as well as action films such as Marte Dam Tak (1987) and Jung Baaz (1989). He worked with David Dhawan for the first time in the 1989 action film Taaqatwar. He also worked with Rajnikant and Sridevi in the hit film that year titled, Ghair Khanooni.