Govinda, Salman, Shah Rukh: Latecomer legends of Bollywood, but not for THIS filmmaker!

Govinda, Salman Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan have each ruled Bollywood for decades, winning millions of fans with their unique styles and blockbuster films. Yet, alongside their superstardom, they’ve carried a reputation for arriving late on film sets. 

Over the years, directors and co-stars have spoken about this, sometimes frustrated, sometimes accepting it as part of the “star culture” that comes with larger-than-life personas. But there’s one filmmaker with whom all three consistently showed up on time.

A Filmmaker’s Unlikely Triumph

That filmmaker is Priyadarshan, who has recently made Bollywood comeback with several projects lined up. During an interview with Pinkvilla, he revealed his greatest achievement, saying, “When I got my Padma Shri, a journalist asked me, ‘Don’t you think this is your greatest achievement?’ I said, ‘No, my biggest achievement is working with Govinda and Salman (Khan) on time and finishing it in one or two schedules.’”

He added, “There was a fear brought into my mind by other people that they don’t come on time. But both of them were very sweet. They came on set at 7 am. I remember Salman telling me, ‘Garu, if you make a film (with me) next time, I won’t come to set at 5 am.’”

Talking about SRK, Priyadarshan added, “Shah Rukh used to tell me, ‘Priyan sir, I’ll be there by 10 in the morning.’ Even the unit would say that if he arrived by 10, it was already a big deal." 

"I was very comfortable working with all these people and never faced any issues with any of the actors I collaborated with. I think it’s perhaps my destiny—it just worked out for me, which is why I’ve been able to make so many films over the years,” said Priyan.

Memorable Collaborations

Notably, Priyadarshan directed Salman Khan in the 2005 romantic drama Kyon Ki and Govinda in the 2006 comedy Bhagam Bhag. He also worked with Shah Rukh Khan in the 2011 comedy Billu, which starred the late Irrfan Khan in the lead role.

Trust and Comfort Matter

The veteran filmmaker admits that trust plays a key role in his collaborations. He shared, “I was very happy with Shah Rukh or Govinda. I won’t say they’re bad actors. The only thing is I was very comfortable with Akshay and Mohanlal.”

Why Akshay Kumar and Mohanlal Are His Go-To Choices

Explaining the importance of trust, Priyadarshan said, “They both never ask me what I’m doing. When I go to them with a film, they just ask me, ‘Are you excited?’ When I say yes, they say, ‘Let’s do the film.’ When they trust you so much, I do have a responsibility to deliver and maintain that trust.”