Chunky Pandey recently revisited some of the most memorable moments from his early years in Bollywood, including the role Govinda played in inspiring his acting journey. The actor also recalled the extraordinary popularity of ‘Aankhen’ and its chartbuster song ‘Laal Dupatte Wali’, sharing an amusing anecdote about his mother witnessing the audience’s reaction to the film’s trailer even before its theatrical release. Chunky opened up about these memories during an upcoming episode of ‘India’s Best Dancer Season 5’, where his long-standing association with Govinda became one of the highlights of the conversation.
Chunky Pandey reveals Govinda inspired him to become an actor
Chunky revealed that his connection with Govinda dates back to the beginning of their careers. Both actors were launched by producer Pahlaj Nihalani, but it was Govinda’s success with ‘Ilzaam’ that left a lasting impression on Chunky.Reflecting on Govinda’s influence, Chunky said, “Main actor bana Govinda ki wajah se. Govinda aur mujhe ek hi producer ne launch kiya tha, Pahlaj Nihalani. Unhone Govinda ji ke saath film banayi thi Ilzaam, jo super-duper hit ho gayi thi. Lekin agar main thoda bahut bhi dancing jaanta hoon, it’s all because of Govinda. Main khud Govinda ka bahut bada fan hoon.” (I became an actor because of Govinda. Both Govinda and I were launched by the same producer, Pahlaj Nihalani. He made the film Ilzaam with Govinda, which turned out to be a super-duper hit. But if I know even a little bit of dancing today, it’s entirely because of Govinda. I am a massive fan of Govinda myself.)He also spoke about Govinda’s unmatched dancing abilities and jokingly compared sharing the dance floor with him to stepping into a boxing ring with Mike Tyson.“I really love Govinda, I think he is superb. Aur Govinda ke saath dance karna is like boxing with Mike Tyson in the ring. Uske saath dance karo toh compliments bhi aa jaate hain, because people are watching him, aapko koi dekh hi nahi raha hai,” (I really love Govinda; I think he is superb. And dancing alongside Govinda is like stepping into the boxing ring with Mike Tyson. When you dance with him, you actually end up getting compliments simply because everyone is watching him—nobody is looking at you at all!) he said.
Chunky Pandey recalls ‘Aankhen’ and ‘Laal Dupatte Wali’ craze
Chunky also looked back at the release of ‘Aankhen’, the 1993 David Dhawan action-comedy in which he shared the screen with Govinda. The film arrived during the summer vacation period alongside several other major releases, including Chunky’s ‘Lootere’.Recalling the buzz around the film even before it reached theatres, Chunky shared an anecdote involving his mother. He was away shooting when she went to Mumbai’s Metro theatre to watch ‘Lootere’. After returning home, she told him about the audience’s reaction when the trailer of ‘Aankhen’ played.“Main ek story batana chahta hoon is gaane ke baare mein. Jab film release hui thi, ye sab bade-bade pictures ke beech mein aayi thi. Summer vacation mein aayi thi ye picture aur meri ek aur picture lagi thi, ‘Lootere’. Main shooting kar raha tha aur meri mummy ‘Lootere’ dekhne ke liye Metro gayi thi. Jab mummy ghar aayi toh maine poocha, ‘Picture kaisi lagi?’ Unhone kaha, ‘Film bahut achhi thi, par teri picture abhi aa rahi hai na, Aankhen, usmein jab woh trailer chala aur ‘Laal Dupatte Wali’ aaye, toh logon ne screen par paise fek diye.’ Toh film release hone se pehle hi woh gaana bahut popular ho gaya tha.” (I want to share a story about this song. When the film released, it came out right in the middle of several big-budget movies during the summer vacation. Another film of mine, Lootere, was also running in theatres at the time. I was busy shooting, and my mother went to Metro cinema to watch Lootere. When she got home, I asked her, ‘How did you like the film?’ She replied, ‘The movie was really good, but you have another film coming out, Aankhen when its trailer played and ‘Laal Dupatte Wali’ came on, people actually started throwing money at the screen.’ So even before the film released, that song had already become a massive rage.)
Govinda and Chunky Pandey’s memorable collaborations
Chunky and Govinda eventually worked together on several projects, with ‘Aankhen’ remaining their most prominent collaboration. Directed by David Dhawan, the 1993 action-comedy featured Govinda in a double role and went on to become one of the notable hits of the decade. The actors later reunited for ‘Kaun Rokega Mujhe’ in 1997, where Govinda made a special appearance alongside Chunky Pandey and Nagma.
