Meet the man who extracted an apology from Govinda

Slapped by the Bollywood star, Santosh Rai got back by slapping a case against the actor-turned-politician, Ranjita Ganesan reports

Never meet your heroes. Santosh Rai was slapped by his eight years ago.

The 33-year-old aspiring actor felt blessed in 2008 when, only a month after moving to Mumbai, he managed to enter Goregaon’s Filmistan studio where his idol, Bollywood actor Govinda, was shooting for a film, Money Hai Toh Honey Hai. Rai was seated behind the cast between shots when the actor turned around and asked who he was. Luck morphed into horror as soon as Rai said that he had simply come to watch the shoot, and, in a fit of unprovoked rage, Govinda struck his fan hard on the face.

Rai would respond later by slapping a case on Govinda, and convincing the Supreme Court to order that the actor-turned-politician apologise to him.

It was an arduous journey to vindication, however. After the incident, which became known as “slapgate”, Rai says he lay low out of shock. “Imagine being hit by someone you considered God.”

The moment was captured on camera by mediapersons who were hanging around at the studio to interview Govinda. In newspapers and on television, the actor variously justified his aggression, saying Rai had kicked his chair, or that he had replied “stylishly”, or that he had misbehaved with female staff.

The last insinuation prompted Rai to seek justice. “Everyone knows in Mumbai that if you mess with a girl, she will hit you right away and not ask an actor for help.” Rai described his side of the story in a television interview, after which he went on to file a police complaint that never yielded results.

A year later, he filed a case in the Borivali court that seemed in his favour -- until Govinda moved the Bombay high court in 2013, when the matter was quashed. Rai says he decided to approach the Supreme Court in 2014.

In February this year, the apex court condemned Govinda’s action and directed him to apologise. “We enjoy your films, but cannot tolerate you slapping somebody.” The actor asked for two weeks’ time to fulfil the order. Reports say he had apologised and offered to pay Rai Rs 5 lakh as compensation. Rai denies having received an apology. His lawyer, Jatin Zaveri, says Govinda should also help his client find work.

Rai has the manner of a Bhojpuri celebrity. He dabbles in poetry, launching into couplets and pausing for praise. His belief in astrology manifests in the rings and strings that cover his right hand. An earring is his only other piece of jewellery. His formal shirt and pants hint at the day jobs he sometimes holds. Even as he was fighting his case, Rai studied MBA and took up bottom-rung marketing work. He also borrowed from friends and family to raise the Rs 11 lakh he claims to have spent on court proceedings.

So far, he has appeared in two small projects: he was an extra in a historic documentary and played an inspector in I Am Dead, a low-budget thriller that never came to life. On his smartphone, Rai keeps stills of that film -- seated in a dark room, he can be seen wearing a cop’s costume.  

As “slapgate” and experiences thereafter taught Rai, showbiz -- or “the industry”, as he calls it -- is not a very nice place. At the Andheri café where we meet, he is a regular. He was raised on a diet of Hindi cinema, especially loving the films of Govinda, whose rise from poverty inspired him. At 25, he boarded the Howrah Mail from Kolkata, where he grew up, to come to Mumbai. His hope was not merely to appear in films or join theatre, but to be “a hero”.

The industry only values those who are already rich, says Rai, who keeps a motorbike to make a good impression at auditions.

Although Rai admires Govinda’s skill, he has lost reverence for the actor’s persona. All the same, he is glad to have learnt about law and how to interact with the press. However, he rues not being able to support his parents financially and not having romantic suitors. Hours into our meeting, Rai calls with a request. “Can you say in your story that I am looking for opportunities in the industry? Or a chance in Bigg Boss?”