During a conversation with Mukesh Khanna, Govinda shared the incident when he was thrown out of the office for rejecting BR Chopra’s show. That show was Mahabharata, in which Govinda was being offered the role of Abhimanyu. When Govinda told the filmmaker that he was leaving the show on his mother’s insistence, BR Chopra used words like ‘pagal’ for his mother. Govinda struggled a lot in the beginning of his career. After a long time, he got the lead role in the film Love 86. At the same time, he was offered BR Chopra’s show Mahabharata. At that time, there were reports that Govinda rejected the role of Abhimanyu in Mahabharata because he got the lead role in Love 86. On this rumour, Govinda told Mukesh Khanna, when a member of a poor family comes on the film line, keep listening to rumours. Govinda told that he was very close to Goofy Paintal’s family. His wife Renu used to call Govinda to the house for small tasks like cleaning. Goofy Paintal was playing the role of Shakuni in the show Mahabharat at that time and was also the casting director of the show, while its director was BR Chopra. He did not know that Govinda was going to Goofy’s house. Govinda said on this, one day I reached there. BR Chopra told me that the role of Abhimanyu has been selected for you. To this I said, Sir, Mummy has refused, I will not do this role. He said, what is your mother, I said, she is a Sadhvi. She wears saffron clothes. I do whatever she says. For me the film line is secondary. Govinda further said, I never thought of anyone so big. Children who are involved in worship have a little different mind. When I said, I will not do it, he blurted out, she is a little mad, he was a little angry. I said, Sir, her first film was Sharda. She has done 9 films, she is your senior. Daddy is also your senior. I am struggling. Whatever she says, happens. When Govinda told this to his mother, his mother said, go and act in front of her. Tell her that whatever your thoughts are, I ate them up. When Govinda told BR Chopra on his mother’s behest that I ate your thoughts up, he replied, he is mad, throw him out. On this Govinda said, look, you are throwing Govinda out. Govinda further said, coming out I thought that such eating and drinking activities are going on. I started eating paan outside there, then after a while I saw that an ambulance came and took BR Chopra away. Let us tell you that Govinda’s mother Nirmala Devi was a famous actress of the 40s. She has also been a classical singer of the Patiala Gharana. Let us tell you that after rejecting Mahabharata, Govinda never worked with BR Chopra.
