Karan Johar revealed how Govinda’s film which was released months before Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, continued to dominate Bihar and beat their romantic drama.
Shah Rukh Khan has maintained his kingdom in Bollywood for the past 30 years. The actor entered films with Deewana, and till 2025, he possessed a supreme hold at the box office and in filmgoers’ hearts. However, in the 1990s, Govinda was arguably a bigger superstar, than newcomer Shah Rukh, and Karan Johar himself proved it.
Recently, Karan appeared on Komal Nahta’s podcast, and there he opened how Govinda’s film has surpassed his and SRK’s blockbuster Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in Bihar. Karan recalled a phone call he received from a Bihar distributor, and his revelation left him shocked. Karan said, “Unhone kaha aap Karan ho? Maine kaha yes, then he said, main Kuch Kuch Hota Hai ka Bihar ka distributor hoon. I said, ‘namaste uncle, kaise hai, kaisi chali hai waha?’ I thought he might say ‘blockbuster rahi hai’, but he said, ‘yaha toh average gayi hai’.” Karan admitted he was surprised hearing him, and asked him the reason, “Yaha toh Dulhe Raja bahut badi hit hai.” This shows that in his peak Govinda had a great hold not only in metros but also in the interiors of India.
Watch the comedy scene of Dulhe Raja
For the unversed, Dulhe Raja was a rom-com directed by Harmesh Malhotra. It starred Govinda, Raveena Tandon, Kader Khan, and Johnny Lever in key roles. Mohnish Behl and Prem Chopra played the main antagonists of the film. The movie was released in cinemas on July 10, 1998. Whereas Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was the Diwali release (October 16, 1998), but still Govinda’s film maintained its supremacy in Bihar for over three months.
On the work front, Govinda’s last big screen outing was Rangeela Raja (2019). Since then, he has taken a break from the big screen. SRK, on the other hand, was last seen in Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki, and he’s currently shooting for King.
