Daily Times

Actor Govinda is not going to back down on his claims about him getting an offer to be a part in filmmaker and environmentalist James Cameron’s science fiction epic ‘Avatar’.

While on India TV’s Aap Ki Adalat, Govinda had told Rajat Sharma that he also suggested the title of the film to Cameron.

Govinda doubled down on his claims in an interview with Bombay Times. He said, “I am not active on social media, but my daughter Tina keeps me in the loop. I am fine with people wondering how someone like Govinda could refuse a James Cameron film. I can understand where they are coming from. I respect that thought. They are entitled to have that opinion, but to say how come Govinda got that offer in the first place, is wrong. It’s not like meri aukat nahi hai. It’s prejudiced behaviour.”

“Chai wala aagey kaise badh sakta hain? TV actors films mein kaise aa sakte hain? (How can tea-sellers get ahead in life? How can TV actors get into films?) This is that same elitist, superiority complex. Yeh galat hai. Aapko vishwas nahi karna hai toh mat kijiye (This is wrong. Don’t believe if you wish), but don’t say things like this,” he added.

Govinda had claimed on Aap Ki Adalat that he had rejected Avatar as the director required him to shoot for around 410 days. “I gave the title of the film. It turned out to be a super hit film. I had informed him that the film will do really well. I told him that I feel it will take seven years for him to complete the film. He got angry. When I said so, he asked, ‘How can you be so sure that I won’t be able to make Avatar for seven years?’ I told him that what he was imagining was something almost impossible,” he said.

The actor added he was against using body paint.