Key takeaways
- Govinda and David Dhawan made 18 films together with Govinda as a lead; Govinda himself often says 17.
- Their first film was Taaqatwar (1989) and the last was Do Knot Disturb (2009).
- Partner (2007) was their biggest earner, at about Rs 100.91 crore worldwide.
- Karisma Kapoor was the heroine in five of their films, and Sanjay Dutt co-starred in four.
Govinda and David Dhawan made 18 films together with Govinda as a lead, starting with Taaqatwar (1989) and ending with Do Knot Disturb (2009). Govinda himself has often put the number at 17. The partnership produced hits such as Aankhen, Raja Babu, Coolie No. 1, Hero No. 1, Haseena Maan Jaayegi and Partner.
The count of 18 comes from David DhawanтАЩs filmography as listed on Wikipedia, which names every film he directed with Govinda in a lead role. GovindaтАЩs own figure of 17 is also widely reported, so both numbers appear in the news. Below is the full list with years, co-stars and what each film added to the partnership.
Govinda David Dhawan movies list at a glance
| No. | Film | Year | Main co-stars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taaqatwar | 1989 | Sanjay Dutt, Anita Raj, Neelam |
| 2 | Swarg | 1990 | Rajesh Khanna, Juhi Chawla, Madhavi |
| 3 | Shola Aur Shabnam | 1992 | Divya Bharti, Gulshan Grover, Anupam Kher |
| 4 | Aankhen | 1993 | Chunky Pandey, Raageshwari, Shilpa Shirodkar, Kader Khan |
| 5 | Raja Babu | 1994 | Karisma Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor, Kader Khan |
| 6 | Coolie No. 1 | 1995 | Karisma Kapoor, Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor |
| 7 | Saajan Chale Sasural | 1996 | Tabu, Karisma Kapoor, Satish Kaushik |
| 8 | Banarasi Babu | 1997 | Ramya Krishnan, Shakti Kapoor, Kader Khan |
| 9 | Hero No. 1 | 1997 | Karisma Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Satish Shah |
| 10 | Deewana Mastana | 1997 | Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Johnny Lever |
| 11 | Bade Miyan Chote Miyan | 1998 | Amitabh Bachchan, Raveena Tandon, Ramya Krishnan |
| 12 | Haseena Maan Jaayegi | 1999 | Sanjay Dutt, Karisma Kapoor, Pooja Batra |
| 13 | Kunwara | 2000 | Urmila Matondkar, Nagma, Om Puri |
| 14 | Jodi No. 1 | 2001 | Sanjay Dutt, Twinkle Khanna, Monica Bedi |
| 15 | Kyo KiiтАж Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta | 2001 | Sushmita Sen, Rambha, Anupam Kher |
| 16 | Ek Aur Ek Gyarah | 2003 | Sanjay Dutt, Amrita Arora, Jackie Shroff |
| 17 | Partner | 2007 | Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Lara Dutta |
| 18 | Do Knot Disturb | 2009 | Riteish Deshmukh, Sushmita Sen, Lara Dutta |
Release order within 1997 follows the filmography listing on Wikipedia. Release dates checked on the individual film pages include Hero No. 1 on 21 February 1997, Banarasi Babu on 8 May 1997 and Deewana Mastana on 23 September 1997.
1. Taaqatwar (1989)
Taaqatwar was David DhawanтАЩs first film as a director. It is an action film led by Sanjay Dutt and Govinda, with Anita Raj and Neelam Kothari as the female leads.
It looks nothing like the comedies that came later, but it is where the working relationship began.
2. Swarg (1990)
A family drama with Rajesh Khanna at the centre, Swarg also starred Juhi Chawla and Madhavi. Govinda had a key role in a film that relied more on emotion than on laughs.
It showed that Dhawan, at this stage, was still trying out different genres.
3. Shola Aur Shabnam (1992)
This was the turning point. Govinda plays a cheeky NCC cadet opposite Divya Bharti, and the film was the fourth highest-grossing Indian film of 1992.
Why it matters: The light, playful tone here became the template for their later work.
4. Aankhen (1993)
Govinda plays a double role with Chunky Pandey as his partner in mischief. Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Raj Babbar and Sadashiv Amrapurkar complete a large supporting cast.
Why it matters: It was the highest-grossing Indian film of 1993 and fixed GovindaтАЩs image as a comedy star.
5. Raja Babu (1994)
A remake of the Tamil film Rasukutty, this was the first of their films with Karisma Kapoor as the heroine. Govinda plays a spoilt, flashy village man.
Why it matters: It started the Govinda and Karisma pairing that would run through four more Dhawan films.
6. Coolie No. 1 (1995)
Govinda is a railway coolie who poses as a rich man to marry Karisma KapoorтАЩs character. The film is a remake of the Tamil film Chinna Mapillai (1993).
Why it matters: It is the best-known film of the partnership. Dhawan remade it in 2020 with Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan.
7. Saajan Chale Sasural (1996)
Based on the Telugu film Allari Mogudu, this comedy has Govinda married to two women, played by Tabu and Karisma Kapoor. Satish Kaushik plays a memorable supporting role.
Why it matters: It was a major hit and won Govinda the Filmfare Special Award.
8. Banarasi Babu (1997)
Govinda starred with Ramya Krishnan in this comedy, backed by regulars Shakti Kapoor and Kader Khan, along with Bindu. It was one of three Dhawan and Govinda releases in 1997.
It is less discussed today than the other two films from that year.
9. Hero No. 1 (1997)
An adaptation of Hrishikesh MukherjeeтАЩs Bawarchi (1972), the film has Govinda working as a servant in a divided joint family. Karisma Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Satish Shah and Kader Khan are in the cast.
Why it matters: It showed the pair could make a clean family entertainer, not only slapstick.
10. Deewana Mastana (1997)
Govinda and Anil Kapoor compete for the attention of Juhi ChawlaтАЩs character, a psychiatrist. Johnny Lever and Anupam Kher add to the comedy, and Salman Khan appears in a cameo. David Dhawan also appears as himself.
Why it matters: It proved Govinda could share comic space with another big lead and still stand out.
11. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998)
Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda both play double roles in this action comedy, which is loosely inspired by The Comedy of Errors. Raveena Tandon and Ramya Krishnan play the female leads.
Why it matters: Govinda earned a Filmfare Best Actor nomination for it.
12. Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999)
Govinda and Sanjay Dutt lead this comedy with Karisma Kapoor and Pooja Batra. Govinda plays Monu and also takes on a disguise as an old тАЬChachajiтАЭ. Anu Malik composed the music.
Why it matters: It was the fifth-highest-grossing Hindi film of 1999 and won Govinda the Filmfare Best Comedian award.
13. Kunwara (2000)
Govinda paired with Urmila Matondkar for this comedy, with Nagma, Om Puri, Kader Khan and Johnny Lever in the cast.
It came at a time when the formula was starting to feel familiar to audiences.
14. Jodi No. 1 (2001)
Govinda and Sanjay Dutt reunited for this buddy comedy, with Twinkle Khanna and Monica Bedi. Box Office India declared it a hit.
Why it matters: It was their last big hit until Partner in 2007.
15. Kyo KiiтАж Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta (2001)
An unofficial remake of the Jim Carrey film Liar Liar, it casts Govinda as a man who suddenly cannot tell a lie. Sushmita Sen and Rambha play the female leads.
The film did not do well commercially, though Govinda received a Filmfare nomination for Best Comedian.
16. Ek Aur Ek Gyarah (2003)
The fourth and last time Govinda and Sanjay Dutt worked together under Dhawan. Amrita Arora, Nandini Singh and Jackie Shroff are also in the film.
After this, the pair did not work together for four years.
17. Partner (2007)
Inspired by Hitch, the film has Salman Khan as a love guru helping GovindaтАЩs shy character. It collected about Rs 100.91 crore worldwide and was the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2007.
Why it matters: It was the biggest commercial success of the partnership and won Govinda the IIFA Best Comedian award. Read the advice Govinda gave Salman Khan before Partner.
18. Do Knot Disturb (2009)
Their last film together starred Govinda with Riteish Deshmukh, Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta, plus Ranvir Shorey, Sohail Khan and Rajpal Yadav. It released on 2 October 2009.
It brought the 20-year run of their partnership to a close.
Why the Govinda and David Dhawan pairing worked
Several clear patterns explain why these films connected with audiences.
- Tested stories: Many of their films were remakes or adaptations of proven hits. Raja Babu, Coolie No. 1 and Saajan Chale Sasural came from South Indian films, Hero No. 1 from Bawarchi, and Partner from Hitch.
- A fixed supporting cast: Kader Khan appears in at least eight of these films. Shakti Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Satish Kaushik, Johnny Lever and Paresh Rawal also return often, so viewers knew the comic rhythm.
- Reliable heroines and co-heroes: Karisma Kapoor was the heroine in five of their films. Sanjay Dutt shared the lead in four.
- Built around GovindaтАЩs strengths: The films gave him space for dance, quick dialogue and physical comedy, which suited his style better than most directors managed.
- Steady output: Between 1992 and 2001, they released 13 films together, keeping the pairing in theatres almost every year.
Why did Govinda and David Dhawan stop working together?
After Do Knot Disturb, the two did not make another film together. In an interview reported in August 2026, Govinda said Dhawan felt their partnership had gone as far as he wanted to take it and that there was no fight between them. Read the full report on why Govinda and David Dhawan stopped working together.
David Dhawan went on to direct films such as Main Tera Hero (2014), Judwaa 2 (2017) and the 2020 Coolie No. 1 with his son Varun Dhawan.
Frequently asked questions
How many movies did Govinda and David Dhawan do together?
They made 18 films together with Govinda in a lead role, from Taaqatwar (1989) to Do Knot Disturb (2009). Govinda has himself spoken of 17.
What was the first Govinda and David Dhawan film?
Taaqatwar (1989), which was also David DhawanтАЩs debut as a director. Sanjay Dutt co-starred.
What was the last movie of Govinda and David Dhawan?
Do Knot Disturb, released on 2 October 2009, with Riteish Deshmukh, Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta.
Which is the biggest hit of Govinda and David Dhawan?
Partner (2007) earned the most, about Rs 100.91 crore worldwide. Among the older films, Aankhen was the highest-grossing Indian film of 1993.
How many films did Govinda and Karisma Kapoor do with David Dhawan?
Five: Raja Babu, Coolie No. 1, Saajan Chale Sasural, Hero No. 1 and Haseena Maan Jaayegi.
Sources: David Dhawan filmography (Wikipedia), Govinda (Wikipedia), Coolie No. 1 1995 (Wikipedia), Do Knot Disturb (Wikipedia).
