Govinda’s Fame Threatened Amitabh Bachchan’s Stardom? Big B Once Confessed, ‘Wo Nahi, Yeh…’

Veteran actor Govinda was rushed to Mumbai’s Juhu CritiCare Hospital late Tuesday night (November 11–12, 2025) after briefly losing consciousness at home, just hours after he visited Dharmendra in the Breach Candy Hospital. His lawyer says he’s stable as doctors await a neuro consult, with initial tests completed. Fans have since been flooding social media with prayers for and well-wishes for Bollywood’s beloved Hero No. 1, whose infectious energy and comedic moments have defined an era of Hindi cinema.

As fans await further updates on the actor’s health, attention has once again turned to the golden era of Govinda’s career, a time so iconic that even megastar Amitabh Bachchan once admitted feeling overshadowed by his soaring popularity.

When Amitabh Bachchan realised Govinda’s stardom had taken over

Amitabh Bachchan, the ever-legendary megastar of Indian cinema, faced a career setback during the mid-1990s when he briefly stepped away from acting. The actor, whose iconic roles defined an era of Bollywood, also saw his star power diminish during that period, as Govinda’s meteoric rise in popularity eclipsed his. 

In a 2016 conversation with Rajeev Masand, Amitabh Bachchan recalled how the tide of fame had shifted towards the late ’90s, the same decade when Govinda was dominating Bollywood with back-to-back blockbusters, his fame unparalleled. This was the time when even the ‘Shehenshah of Bollywood’ experienced his star power fade. Speaking about that ‘painful awareness’, Bachchan shared:

“The whole equation changes. The crowd is not as attracted to you. People don’t look at you the same way they used to. You could enter a restaurant and cause mayhem. And then you can enter again, and nobody looks at you. So, you go through that phase.”

The Sholay actor recalled an unforgettable moment from the sets of the 1991 film Hum, when he realised the younger generation’s craze for Govinda, not him. During one of their shoots, a group of teens crowded the set where Big B and Govinda were working, eager to get an autograph. One of those fans, a little girl, gestured to her friend to get Govinda’s autograph and not his. Recalling how that moment made him realise his star power was fading, Bachchan shared:

“I was shooting with Govinda for Hum when a group of young kids came up to me, and one of the boys asked for an autograph. Govinda was standing next to me. There was a young, cute girl who gave him a slap and said, ‘Woh nahin, yeh. Govinda ka autograph lo.’”

After dominating Indian cinema for decades with his brooding ‘angry young man’ era, that day Big B realised that the new generation was more drawn to the Hero No. 1 star’s dance-driven, carefree comedy, which largely defined Bollywood in the 1990s.

When Amitabh Bachchan became painfully aware of his fading star power and teamed up with Govinda

In the same conversation, Amitabh Bachchan recalled one particularly humbling moment that made him rethink his stardom: after returning to cinema, he visited New York for a film promotion alongside Govinda and Raveena Tandon. Contrary to his peak career, when organisers had to bring a limousine on stage to deal with the overflowing NYC crowd, this time, he realised hardly anyone was even looking at him. The Coolie star shared:

“We got off this great big limousine into the theatre, and nobody looked at you. You’re just walking in like the rest of the audience. So, you realise the difference.”

When Bachchan returned to cinema, his superstardom was nothing for the younger generation, and the audience was crazy for Govinda. Given Govinda’s unparalleled star power in the ’90s, Bachchan teamed up with him for the 1998 film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. That strategy seemed to have done the trick — the film went on to become a landmark blockbuster of the decade.

Govinda’s meteoric rise to stardom and his drastic fall

Despite experiencing a wave of stardom that few Indian actors have, Govinda’s career took a drastic turn in the later years. After delivering some of the biggest hits of the 1990s with films like Coolie No. 1, Hero No. 1, and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, the actor almost disappeared from the scene after turning down major roles in landmark projects such as Taal and Devdas, which went to Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff, respectively. His professional reputation also began to suffer amid reports of frequent clashes with filmmakers and a string of box-office flops.

In an October 2025 appearance on Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle, Govinda reflected on his career’s downward trajectory, admitting that the same fame that once defined him eventually came under fire when the media began writing him off. He recalled reading headlines like ‘Govinda gaya, Govinda gaya’, which prompted him to return to acting. Govinda shared:

“Kahi kahi lekh aaya ki, ‘Govinda gaya, Govinda gaya.’ Maine socha chalo ek picture shuru karte hai. I started Aa Gaya Hero. Before that, I met David Dhawan, and he suggested that let’s make a film with Sohail. The hero would be Salman. That’s how Partner came up.”

Despite the ups and downs, Govinda’s vibrant screen presence, effortless humor, and unmatched dance moves continue to be celebrated by fans and industry veterans alike. With his recent hospitalisation, fans all over the nation are praying for his speedy recovery.

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