Mumbai: Renowned ad filmmaker and brand strategist Prahlad Kakkar, often referred to as the ‘Advertising Guru of India’, recently recalled a light-hearted anecdote from his time working with Bollywood actor Govinda, highlighting the actor’s easy-going approach towards punctuality and the way he handled it.
In a candid chat with ANI, Kakkar, who is known for shaping some of India’s most iconic ad campaigns, reflected on his experience of working with many leading names in the film industry including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra.
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However, it was his experience with Govinda that brought out a particularly amusing memory.
Kakkar laughed while describing the actor’s effortless and charming way of dealing with delays, saying, “Govinda had the ability to be late for 24 hours and pretend to be on time.”
Govinda, known for his comic timing, lively dance style and memorable performances in hit films like ‘Coolie No. 1’, ‘Hero No. 1’, ‘Saajan Chale Sasural’, ‘Raja Babu’, ‘Dulhe Raja’ and ‘Haseena Maan Jayegi’, is one of Bollywood’s most loved entertainers.
Recalling a particular incident from the set, Kakkar shared, “He rudely walks in, ‘Main aaye, chalo ready hai’, but ‘Boss, tu kal aane wala tha aaj aaye’, and she replied, ‘What a difference a day makes’.”
Kakkar, who has created unforgettable advertising campaigns like Pepsi’s “Yahi Hai Right Choice Baby! Aha!”, Maggi’s “2 Minutes” ad and the quirky “It’s Different” ketchup ad, is known for his sharp wit, creativity and ability to connect with the masses through storytelling and humour.
Speaking further, Kakkar also recalled moments from the 1994 Miss India pageant, especially about Sushmita Sen, who won both the Miss India and Miss Universe titles.
He shared that during the competition, he was with Aishwarya Rai and had access to the backstage areas.
He said, “I had taken Aishwarya with her mother to Goa. There I met Sushmita. I could only reach the changing room, which disappointed the organisers. They tried to stop me and questioned my identity. I told them, ‘You can’t stop me.’
Recalling a touching moment, Kakkar said, “One day, in the middle of the competition, Sushmita was sitting in a corner of the changing room and crying. I went to her. Even though I was supposed to be from the rival camp, I went to her and asked her. She said, ‘No, it’s all fixed. It’s all rigged. We don’t know what we are doing here.’ When I asked him, he told me how Aishwarya was a big model and she would be declared the winner.
The filmmaker also shared how he advised Sushmita about the role of Judge Simon Tata and encouraged her to trust the fairness of the judging process. He said, “She is a judge. She will judge honestly and fairly. And that’s exactly what happened.”
Sushmita Sen won the Miss India crown that year and ultimately created history by becoming India’s first Miss Universe.