Govinda Claims James Cameron Offered Him ₹18 Crore For Avatar, Calls The Role 'Lame'

Time and again, Govinda has claimed that he was offered Jamesh Cameron's blockbuster directorial Avatar. Now, he has added another information of being offered ₹18 crore for his role in the movie. In an old interview last year, Govinda revealed that Cameron had offered him the lead role and claimed he suggested the film's title. However, he turned down the role because he didn’t want to spend hours wearing body paint (even though the Na’vi characters' blue skin was created using CGI and motion capture technology) and didn’t have the required dates for the project.

How Govinda met legendary director James Cameron

In an interview with Mukesh Khanna on his YouTube channel, Govinda shared that he refused to be part of the movie as the character was "lame". Recalling his meeting with Cameron, the actor said he met a Sardarji in America and shared a business idea with him related to sweets and delicacies. Years later, the idea worked for that person, so he made the actor meet Cameron. "He asked me to do a film with James, so I invited them for dinner to discuss about it," he added.

Govinda's new claim regarding Avatar offer

In the same conversation, he added, "Picture ka title bhi maine hi diya tha. Maine Rajesh Khanna ji ko dekha tha left hand kata hua… maine kaha, ‘Yaar accha aadmi he pata nahi kyu ajeeb sa role kar liya!’ Toh maine kaha, ‘Second time banegi Avatar!’ Toh mujhe kehta hai, ‘The hero is lame!’ (I had only given the title. I had seen Rajesh Khanna and wondered why he did that part. I only predicted the sequel). Maine kaha, ‘Lame? Govinda! Hello? I am not doing your picture!" To convince the actor, Cameron offered him ₹18 crore as a fee. However, still, he turned it down. Govinda recalled the director saying, "‘I am offering you 18 crores.’ I said, ‘I don’t want your 18 crores.' He said the shoot will be for 410 days. I said that is okay, but if I paint my body, I will be in the hospital!"

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When Govinda's claim stirs AI meme wave

Soon after his interview went viral last year, X was flooded with memes and viral images, with users struggling to believe his claims. One comment read, “Govinda saying he was offered Avatar is like Salman Khan claiming he was offered the Nobel Prize for Physics.” Another post read, “Govinda was offered the role of Iron Man but turned it down because he doesn’t fit in an iron suit.”

However, the Hero No.1 actor addressed the trolling and said being mocked is nothing new to him. "Even at the start of my career, people laughed at my ambition to become an actor. They wondered how someone from Virar gaon could become a hero. Even after my films succeeded, some insisted my success was just a fluke.”

All you need to know about the Avatar franchise

Avatar is a hit and one of the most expensive franchises starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michael Biehn and Joel David Moore, among others. It follows a paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. So far only two installments have released with the third Avatar: Fire and Ash releasing this year on December 19. The last two installments will release in 2029 and 2031, both in December.

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