Raj Kapoor shocked the film fraternity 27 years ago when he called his brother Shashi Kapoor a "taxi for hire".
RK had a point. Shashi Kapoor was constantly climbing in and out of studios when stardom suddenly beckoned him with both hands in the 1970s.
In 60s, Shashi Kapoor struggled to find a firm foothold in Bollywood. The offers started pouring in after Chor Machaye Shorw, released in 1974, hit the bull's eye and he grabbed everything he could lay his hands on. And when Raj Kapoor wanted to sign him for his prestigious project Satyam Shivam Sunderam, the actor didn't have dates!
Just the opposite is happening now- "One-Film-At-A-Time" is becoming the new mantra of Bollywood stars.
This is almost true for the younger breed of stars like Aishwarya Rai, Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra.
Initially Govinda followed Shashi Kapoor's style. After the surprise success of Ilzaam, the Virar ka chokra went berserk and signed films left right and centre.
"I signed almost 28-30 films together," grins Govinda in remembrance.
Now he is an MP and can't afford more than one film a year. Those super-hectic days when he would rush from studio to studio "playing a beggar in the morning, a prince in the afternoon and a politician in the evening, is not practical anymore. It was very disorienting, says Govinda
{{/usCountry}}Now he is an MP and can't afford more than one film a year. Those super-hectic days when he would rush from studio to studio "playing a beggar in the morning, a prince in the afternoon and a politician in the evening, is not practical anymore. It was very disorienting, says Govinda
{{/usCountry}}Akshay Kumar understands Govinda's way of working.
"When you start working, you are flooded with offers. Every producer wants to sign you. This could be very unsettling for an outsider who had only dreamt of stardom.
"I went through this phase of signing any and every film after my debut Saugandh was released. I lived to regret it.
"Today, though I've many films on hand, I try to complete one film at a time. But this isn't always possible, especially when several films are on the verge of completion."
But then, the architect of the "One-Film-At-A-Time" streamlined scheduling isn't Aamir Khan, as widely believed.