Comedy...is something that is very hard to judge and comment upon because I have hardly seen something so subjective in nature as this phenomenon. What may seem funny to one may not seem funny anybody else. Hence it is very tough to slot comedy into any one branch because this is one medium where one can find many, many diverse opinions. This is the prime reason I believe that comedy is one of the toughest genres to attempt and the actors who can successfully pull off comedy are very versatile, and indeed are very good actors.
In India, comedy has been an integral part for most movies and a lot of the time, comedians have fallen flat on their faces in attempts to regale the audiences. Indeed, I doubt there is anything more frustrating to watch than a 3 hour ?comedy? which is not funny.
This is the primary reason why the few comedians who have successfully and consistently entertained are so highly regarded, unless of course they over did things and continued in the same vein even if they were well past their prime (as was the case with most). Comedians like Johnny Walker were much before my time and though they may have been good, I couldn?t appreciate their comedy.
The only notable exceptions of those times were Mehmood and Kishore Kumar. However in my generation of movie goers, various actors have proven to be very adept at comedy, notable amongst them Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and to a lesser extent Salman Khan. I haven?t mentioned Boman Irani, Satish Shah, Kader Khan or Johnny Lever primarily because they were not leading men, yet they were pretty good at their time as well if given the right material (especially Boman Irani).
However (and I know I will get brickbats for this) IMHO the best contemporary comedian would HAVE to be Govinda. This is not to say that the man isn?t a good actor, in fact I think he is a brilliant actor, but just that I find that his movies make me laugh like no one else?s and I have rarely had reason for lack of entertainment if I watch him, i.e. until he fell prey to doing too many movies and repetition. Having said that lets go on to the top 5 movies (beginning with the lowest)of this super entertainer:
Hatya
Cast: Govinda, Anupam Kher, Neelam, Raj Kiran.
The only non comedic movie of his that I have put up here, simply because I wanted to stress my point that this man is quite versatile if given the opportunity. In the role of a man without a purpose in life who comes across a disturbed child (whose mother has been murdered by the villains) and becomes his protector from evil, he performed extremely well, in a serious role that would surprise many who only associate him with loud clothes and (to some extent) vulgar comedy. Stripped of all his mannerisms, he delivers a performance which ranks amongst his best even after so long.
Haseena Maan Jaayegi
Cast: Govinda, Sanjay Dutt, Anupam Kher, Karisma Kapoor, Pooja Batra, Paresh Rawal, Aruna Irani, Kader Khan, Satish Kaushik.
Lots of people would find this movie rip roaring and hilarious and it?s not too surprising. With the reliable straight man Sanjay Dutt (who embarked upon a successful partnership with him from here) Govinda let loose upon the audience with his gags and ability to mimic. In this story of two brothers who fall in love with two sisters by coincidence, Govinda was the one factor which lifted the film from mediocrity and proved the catalyst for its hit status. His performance as Monu and especially as his uncle (what with all the weird mannerisms) would evoke guffaws from repeated viewings at any point of time. Truly a tour de force performance from him and it didn?t hurt that he shared his best screen chemistry with Karisma Kapoor.
Anari No. 1
Cast: Govinda, Kader Khan, Johnny Lever, Satish Shah, Raveena Tandon.
This was one of the few movie in the No.1 series that I actually liked, primarily because of the clean comedy it contained and also because of the whacky characters and situations that it showed. Govinda plays a double role in this crazy adaptation of ?The Prince and the Pauper?, that of a waiter and a millionaire, one who works for Kader Khan and evokes his interest in him, and the other who romances his daughter. Not only was Govinda brilliant with his comic timing, he had amazing support from Kader Khan and moreover from Johnny Lever. One wonders why he has to overact so much when he is capable of being so funny. As the scenes showed, his take off on Daler Mehndi was one of the high points of the movie and he complimented Govinda at every step. One of the better comedies of the ?90s, in my opinion.
Deewana Mastana
Cast: Govinda, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Johnny Lever, Anupam Kher.
Ignore its recent cousin (and to a great extent poor imitation) Mujhse Shaadi Karoge, this is the original in all its splendour. The story of two losers who are besotted with the same girl, Anil Kapoor was brilliant with his comic timing and made a good foil for Govinda, yet he couldn?t match him, even though he had a hilarious Johnny Lever with him. Govinda?s introduction scene alone is so funny you cant help but start laughing, and his mannerisms throughout the film are priceless (?its ok, im all right, im getting better?, ?baby steps?, were just two of the medical breakthroughs introduced in this mad comedy). Small wonder then that he was given recognition and awards for this performance, in my opinion there is only one such performance of his which tops this and that is ??..
Dulhe Raja
Cast: Govinda, Kader Khan, Raveena Tandon, Johnny Lever.
A relatively unsuccessful director, at the helm, the myth that Govinda could not taste success without David Dhawan, all seemed like a recipe for disaster when this movie was being made. But upon its release, it shattered all such myths and showcased Govinda in what is one of his finest comedic performances ever, not to mention cemented his place as one of the most bankable starts of the time. The story, in which Kader Khan buys a 5 star top of the line hotel and comes at odds with a person who own a dhaba in the hotels courtyard was extremely ridiculous and was just a base for tomfoolery to ensue. Although the support cast did their bit (especially Johnny Lever as the manager) the show stealer here was no one except Govinda, who was amazingly natural and hilarious without having to resort to cheap jokes and vulgarity. Truly one of his best.
And there you have it folks, my top 5 of this talented actor. It was his confidence and amazing ability to be extremely natural while performing comedy such as this which prompted me to think that he is an emtremely talented and versatile actor, which some of his earlier movies proved. It?s a pity he kept on r epeating himself and did not look at the quality of movies he came in. Nonetheless, IMHO he was one of, if not the most entertaining actors in India, throughout the ?90s.
I know a lot of you may not have agreed with my choices and opinions, having said that, I would want to know your views and so will await your ratings and of course your comments.
Till next time,
Have fun.
Faraz
