Actor Govinda, who recently said in an interview that he turned down James Cameron's Avatar years ago, was responded with disbelief and several rude but ROFL memes on the Internet. Now, in an interview with Bombay Times, the 55-year-old actor said: "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." Govinda, who also claimed on Rajat Sharma's Aap Ki Adalat that he was the one to suggest 'Avatar' as the film title, said those who don't believe his claims are examples of "prejudiced behaviour."
"It's not like meri aukad nahi hai. It's prejudiced behaviour.... This is that same elitist, superiority complex. Yeh galat hai. Aapko vishwas nahi karna hai toh mat kijiye, but don't say things like this," Bombay Times quoted him as saying.
In a recent episode of Aap Ki Adalat, Govinda told Rajat Sharma that he didn't want to assign over 400 days to a project and also because he was averse to the use of body paint. He reiterated the same in his interview with Bombay Times and also said that one of the "financers" of Avatar had a Bollywood connect, who put Govinda through to James Cameron. Govinda also said that his reputation as a "massy" entertainer is perhaps why people refused to believe him: "I was labelled as a massy entertainer and I had no issue with it as it suited me. That could be a reason why the thought of me rejecting Avatar sounds funny to people."
In a recent episode of Aap Ki Adalat, Govinda told Rajat Sharma: "I gave the title of the film (Avatar). It turned out to be a super hit film. I told him (James Cameron) 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."
Govinda was last seen in Rangeela Raja. His upcoming films are Bhagwan Ke Liye Mujhe Chhod Do, Pinky Darling and National Hero.
