While Raveena Tandon, who was also supposed to be present had taken ill, a sprinkling of other actors like mimicry specialist Johnny Lever and Shivaji Satam were present.

Govinda's Hero Number One image sat easy on his shoulders as he fielded questions from the press. ``Making people forget their worries and laugh is very hard to do. I think God has given me this opportunity. It is difficult to get an image in the industry. Dilip Kumar was the tragedy king, Amitabh Bachchan was the angry young man, Govinda is the entertainer. To get such an image without any planning is a miracle,'' said the actor flashing that generous smile.

Aren't the comic roles he plays, stereotypical? ``Comedy cannot be stereotypical. There are new roles, new dialogues, new characters. The characters I played in Hero Number One is different from my role in Aankhen. Those characters clicked with the audience. The acting is different but the entertainment remains the same,'' reveals the man whose jor ka jhatka pelvic thrusts and easy smile have found mass popularity. Is comedy taken seriously? ``Every genre has its own time. There is a time for action films and for serious films. The trend of comedy films started with Aankhen which was the first comedy film to be a national hit. I am willing to do a variety of films but it depends the two factors of niyat and kripa - if the director wants me to do it and if God's grace permits me to. My character in the forthcoming release Shikari has some negative shades,'' he says.

What does the actor feel when bade miyan Amitabh Bachchan tries to ape his style? ``Amitabhji is a great star and I have always followed I have always followed my seniors like him, Dharamji and Dilip Kumar. When we do something well it becomes a part of us, so that when someone else does it, people think they're imitating. This is just a passing phase,'' says he. The actor believes that his strength lies in his spontaneity. ``Every role that comes to me is a dream role. I am working on the right path. I do not force myself to act - I let acting happen on its own. The spontaneous actor has the upper hand.''

Spontaneity is another reason why he claims to have sung for his debut album. ``I did it for the heck of doing it. It was an average album - I'm not a singer. My sister Kamana Khanna who was producing it wanted to become famous so I did it for her,'' says he with disarming candour. And to show just how effective his comedy has been Govinda reveals,``My doctor friends too tell me that when patients complain of headache and stress they tell them to see my film and lie down for an hour!,'' It happens only with Govinda!