The lead character, Govind, wants an ‘A’ added to his name, and this film wants to be a David Dhawan style comedy-caper. But, as it often happens, there is a big gap between ambition and ability.
In Shashank Khaitan’s Govinda Naam Mera, Vicky Kaushal plays Govind Waghmare, a backup dancer hoping to get a break as a choreographer. He manages that shuddery dance step perfected by Govinda, but not the comic lunacy the star brought to his films.
Govind is married to the shrewish Gauri (Bhumi Pednekar), who treats the househelp Manju (Trupti Khamkar) better than she treats her husband. He has a romance going with fellow dancer Suku (Kiara Advani), which the wife is aware of and indifferent to, since she has a boyfriend too, insurance agent Ballu (Viraj Ghelani). Gauri demands a large sum of money to divorce Govinda, because her parents had given him a big dowry. There is no explanation for this messy state of their relationship, but one can’t remember the last time a Hindi film had such a casually open marriage.
The hapless Govind thinks he is lucky because he at least has to his name a huge but decrepit bungalow in a prime location in Mumbai. However, the ownership of the real estate goldmine is disputed by his father’s other wife (Veenaah Naair) and son (Akkshay Gunaawat). As property cases in Mumbai go, this one has been dragging on for years; Govinda has to make court appearances with his lawyer (Amey Wagh) and feisty wheelchair-bound mother (Renuka Shahane) to face a bored judge and the opponents’ sharp legal advisor (Aseem Hattangadi).
To add to the crowd is corrupt cop (Daya Shetty), a gangster (Sayaji Shinde) and his junkie son (Jeeva), the inevitable builder, circling around a murder, a missing body, stolen drugs, an illegal gun and all the usual paraphernalia of a crime film set in Mumbai. Everybody is crooked and trying to be one up on the other, so there is a lot of betrayal, treachery and chaos.
The film has a few genuinely funny moments, and the Marathi-tinged Mumbai lingo would appeal to viewers from the city. But after a point, the plot contrivances get too much, the humour is forced and unlike the comedies featuring the real Govinda, there aren’t even enough foot-tapping songs to lift up the boring bits.
Kaushal can’t quite get a handle on the part, but the two leading ladies have a hoot and both Pednekar and Advani are in terrific vampy form. It is a surprise to see Renuka Shahane hamming away to the over-the-top silliness. Watched on TV (streaming on Disney+Hotstar) from the comfort of a couch at home, Govinda Naam Mera is mildly amusing, but falls way short of ‘fulltoo timpass’ status.
Govinda Naam Mera
Directed by Shashak Khaitan
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Kiara Advani and others
On Disney + Hotstar
