If we don't return in sequel, audiences will be upset: Govinda

Govinda, who is once again teaming with Salman Khan in the sequel to "Partner", says he is doing the movie for the sake of his fans who want to see him with his "Partner" co-star again. "People have accepted 'Partner' wholeheartedly. Salman, David (Dhawan) and I worked as a family on the sets and audiences saw us as a family in the film. The good vibes always show up," Govinda told IANS.

"It's well-received by the whole world. Audiences have loved Salman's chemistry with me. It looks like we both attended the same 'masti ki pathshala'. And, now, if we don't return in the sequel, audiences will never forgive us," he said.

Director David Dhawan is planning to title the sequel "Tom and Jerry". With the copyright laws being rigid in the US, whether David is allowed to use the patented title of the legendary cartoon characters designed by Joseph Barbera and Bill Hanna has to be seen.

Govinda is oblivious of these pitfalls. Delighted by the wide acceptance of his partnership with Salman, he is raring to go.

"Yes, the sequel is called 'Tom and Jerry'. Salman and I will be doing a cat and mouse story. The script is being written," said Govinda, who entertained movie buffs with quite a few hits like "Hero No. 1" and "Coolie No. 1".

The actor knew "Partner" was partially inspired by the Will Smith comedy "Hitch".

"Yes I had seen 'Hitch'. But just a few scenes were taken. 'Partner' is an Indianised version. I thought 'Partner' touched on very touching aspects of urban life. It's about a man finding love during mid-life crisis, a single mother, etc. Women have loved the film. People have appreciated the emotional bond between me and Salman that underlines the comedy."

Govinda said he and his mentor David consciously spoofed their earlier films in "Partner".

"We sat down and discussed how to go about it. Lots of people told us that the old school of Govinda comedy wouldn't run. People who'd come on the sets would try to demoralise us.

"We decided to do a parody of our old comedy such as the song 'Sarkai lo khatiya'. My character even quips, 'I've been behaving like this from standard six'. Good intentions always pay off."

He says his comeback is complete and now he will choose roles carefully.

"My comeback is complete now. I'm going to be very professional in my selection. I might do a film for Suniel Shetty's Popcorn Entertainment. Suniel is a thorough gentleman. That's the kind of people I want to work with."

By Subhash K. Jha