Not That Avatar: Govinda's Claims Of Being Approached For Multi-Billion Dollar Franchise Rejected

Govinda once claimed that he was offered a role in James Cameron's blockbuster movie franchise Avatar. Soon after, he received heavy criticism from movie enthusiasts. Now, former CBFC chief and film producer Pahlaj Nihalani has reacted to claims and said that the actor confused the sci-fi flick with his unfinished Hindi film as he had "lost his mind."

Pahlaj Nihalani refutes Govinda's claim

In an interview with Friday Talkies, the producer shared that he made a film called Avatar with Govinda. They had shot 40 minutes of it, which Nihalani considered one of his best films, but got canned.

"Woh Avatar title se pata nahi uske dimaag mein kya aaya, baad mein claim karta raha ki main waha (Hollywood) ki Avatar kar raha hoon. Uske dimaag ka disc ghum gaya aur language Hindi se English mein chala gaya (Due to the same title I don't know what went wrong in his mind and he kept claiming that he was doing Hollywood's Avatar. The disc of his brain spun over and he went from Hindi to English)," he added.

Why Pahlaj Nihalani's Avatar was canned?

In the same interview, he elaborated as to why his movie was shelved. He shared that Govinda had asked to put the movie on hold and do something else. They tried to make the film in one schedule but at the last minute he didn’t know "what almonds Govinda ate with tea that he started fainting and us din ke baad se uska dimaag theek nahi raha."

Govinda started talking "nonsense" and the schedule kept getting pushed. Some songs were remaining and some portions of the climax, but the actor didn’t shoot at all. "Shot would be ready, he would wake up, but then he is fainting. Pata nahi badaam mein kya tha, suspense hai aaj tak (I don't know what was there in the almonds, it is still suspense)," he concluded.

Govinda and Nihalani have collaborated on several movies out of which their last movie was in 2019, Rangeela Raja.