25 April,2024 07:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Govinda, Amit Shah Pic/Instagram
Veteran Bollywood actor Govinda, who joined Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena in March, shared a photo with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Instagram. Govinda was seen wearing a pink jacket with a white kurta and pajama as he stood alongside Shah. The actor wrote in the caption, "It was an honor meeting our honorable Minister of Home Affairs of India, respected Amit Shah ji, personally."
Govinda has acted in over 120 films since his debut in 1986. In 2004, he successfully contested the Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat on a Congress ticket, defeating veteran BJP leader Ram Naik. However, he later resigned from the Congress party.
In an earlier interview, Govinda said that the clean aura of Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena inspired him to join that party, adding that the country has made significant progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking to ANI, Govinda said, "The clean aura (of Shiv Sena) inspired me. We have seen the same level of progress here (in Maharashtra) in the last 2 years, as we have seen in the country in the last 10 years. We will focus on the beautification of the state and the growth of art and culture."
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Welcoming his entry into the party, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that "Govinda's administrative experience earlier will prove useful to the party".
On the film front, Govinda was last seen in 'Rangeela Raja' released in 2019. The comedy film was directed by Sikander Bharti and written and produced by Pahlaj Nihalani. The film courted controversy after the Central Board of Film Certification's (CBFC) suggestion to make 20-odd cuts. Nihalani challenged the decision by filing a plea with the Bombay High Court. He claimed that the cuts suggested for his film were illogical and meaningless. "There is no vulgarity, no double meaning dialogues. Still, I've been asked to delete a massive number of dialogues and scenes," he said.
With 'Rangeela Raja', Nihalani reunited with Govinda after 25 years. They have earlier worked together in films like 'Ilzaam', 'Shola Aur Shabnam' and 'Aankhen'. The film also featured Shakti Kapoor, Digangana Suryavanshi, Mishika Chourasia, and Anupama Agnihotri.
(With inputs from ANI)
