Celebrating Govinda with five timeless comedies

Govinda, born as Govind Arun Ahuja, is one of the most adored performers in Indian cinema. Having more than 165 Hindi films to his name, the actor enjoyed an illustrious career, spanning over three decades.

Over his time in Bollywood, Govinda became renowned for his infectious energy, impeccable comical timing and dance prowess. As the "Hero No. 1" actor celebrates his 59th birthday today, here are five of his best comedy films fans should re-watch.

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan

This widely acclaimed blockbuster, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda, is sure to make you laugh aloud. In this film, Govinda and Amitabh play the role of a pair of friends, who run into their lookalikes. Anyone watching the movie will be engrossed in their tale, while also laughing hysterically. Like a typical David Dhawan film, it has a lot of hilarious twists and turns. Loosely based on "Bad Boys", the film has all the ingredients required to be a Bollywood hit.

Raja Babu

One of Govinda's most well-known comedies is the 1994 action-comedy he directed himself. Along with Govinda as Raja, the movie also stars Shakti Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor. Raja, who is adopted by a wealthy village couple in the movie, embarks on a life-changing adventure as he strives to be a better son for his family.

This film shifts the narrative of a David Dhawan movie from comedic to a more serious tone, where Raja talks about emotional attachments and family responsibility. This was one of the major blockbusters from the 90's.

Coolie No. 1

Of all the 'No. 1s' played by Govinda, "Coolie No. 1" is thought to be the greatest. In this film, he plays the role of a coolie, who helplessly falls in love with Karisma Kapoor and feels pressured to get affluent in order to please her father. What makes this film an absolute hit is the nonsensical humour that will leave most audiences clutching their stomachs in laughter. What started as an act of revenge by a matchmaker, turns out to be a hilarious tale of confusion, love and triumph over arrogance. The film also features a number of hit dance numbers, including "Husn Hai Suhana" and "Main To Raste Se".

Dulhe Raja

This film features the iconic pair of Govinda and Raveena Tandon. The comedy-drama delivers a perfect entertainer for the audience, and ranks among one of the most popular films of all time. In the movie, Govinda plays a defiant dhaba (food stall) owner, whose stall is illegally constructed on the property of a five-star hotel. He not only runs his stall successfully, luring five-star customers to his store, but also romances the hotel owner's daughter—played by Raveena. Apart from the slapstick humour, this film became popular for featuring the song, "Ankhiyon Se Goli Maare".

Deewana Mastana

"Deewana Mastana" is frequently considered to be one of Bollywood's best comedies. In this film, Govinda portrays the role of Bunnu, alongside Anil Kapoor as Raja. The plot shows how a psychiatrist, Neha (played by Juhi Chawla), who both Bunnu and Raja—a patient and a small-time criminal, respectively—want to date.

As the two begin to argue and attempt to outwit one another, in an attempt to win Neha's heart, things take a comical turn. The cast provides the narrative appropriate credit, and the fact that every character was meticulously crafted is what makes this movie stand out.