Happy Birthday to Sridevi's Gair Kanooni co-star: Govinda!

Born the same year as Sridevi, today is Govinda's 58th birthday. 

Co-star of Gair Kanooni, Sridevi and Govinda were so brilliant in the song and dance routines and the intermittent comedy in the film. A surprise hit back in 1989, the much delayed film was released in March '89 and ran to packed houses. Owing to its success and Sridevi's unmatched popularity down south, it was later dubbed in Tamil as Rakkamma Kaiyathattu. 

 

Sridevi does a little dandiya in Gair Kanooni (1989)

Sridevi's best dandiya is probably the climax of Aaj Radha Ko Shaam in Chand Ka Tukda. But she did a little ditty in the song Jai Lakshmi in Gair Kanooni too. Sri looks like a Goddess in the song - literally - check out the comedic number. Sri's incredible in it.

Released on 24 March 1989, it was the 12th biggest hit of the year in Bollywood.

We really need to do a list of surprising hits of Sridevi - movies so awful but hit the box-office cause the 80s is the most befuddling decade in Bollywood!

More clear pics of Sridevi on the sets of Gair Kanooni

Govinda and Sridevi in Gair Kanooni ((1989)

Govinda and Sridevi in the only film they did together; Gair Kaanooni (1989).

The film did well at the box-office (the 12th biggest hit of 1989!) but the movie was... um... well, not very good!

Sridevi and Govinda had some really funny scenes and songs in the movie. The comic mujra Tum jo parda karoge, is fun, Sridevi looks like a Goddess (literally!) in Jai Laxmi Jai Laxmi and the beach kohli song, Nakko baba, nakko baba is very cute esp with dancers like Govinda and Sridevi matching steps in perfect sync. All the dances were choreographed by the legend Saroj Khan - who said directing them in the dances was great fun as both could do anything she told them to without hesitation and perfect skill.

Both stars Govinda and Sridevi were born in 1963, they were the same age but as Sridevi's career had taken off long before, and she was taller (and a little heavier too truth be told), many in Bollywood media (fact checking went for a toss!) stated that she was older than him and the pair was a mis-match on screen. 

Well, technically she was older (by four months!) but she looked better than anyone in film back in 1989! The movie was riddled with complications during shooting - the movie started production in 1986 and wrapped over several shifts, much later in 1989. The producer blamed the stars for the mismanagement of shooting schedules. 

Both stars were fans of each other - Govinda has spoken several times about how hard Sridevi used to work and how tenacious she was about rehearsals, be it for film, stage show or dance routine.






Rare pics here; Sridevi with Govinda

Govinda's quote on Sridevi: "I will tell you about this incident with Sridevi, I went for this show with her about seven - eight years back when her Nagina had just released. At the show, I took away all the applause. Around one in the night, Srideviji called me and asked: "Govindaji can you come for a rehearsal?" I went across to meet her and the entire family was awake. She asked me, "How do you remember the steps of my dances?" I told her that I was great fan of hers and used to copy her and Jeetu bhai [brother] on stage. That's how I remembered all her steps. She then learnt the steps from me until three o'clock in the night. At the next day's show, she overshadowed me completely. This kind of dedication, sincerity and honesty to win is required. How can someone like that be anything but No.1?."

-- Stardust, May, 1999