Starring Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Kiara Advani, and Renuka Shahane among others, Govinda Naam Mera is streaming now on Disney+ Hotstar. The comedy, directed by Shashank Khaitan, is a throwback to the chaotic comedies of the 90s and early 2000s…with a touch of 2022. So, one expects to be entertained, if nothing else. Here’s our review of Govinda Naam Mera.
Poor Govinda can’t catch a break
Govind A Waghmare (Vicky Kaushal) is a troubled man. His wife, Gauri (Bhumi Pednekar), is abusive towards him and constantly makes fun of his career as a choreographer. His girlfriend, Suku (Kiara Advani), is an angel in comparison but wants to get married to him as soon as possible which freaks Govinda out. But this isn’t his only problem.
The house he lives in with his wife is worth ₹150 crores but is disputed. Govinda’s deceased father’s other family, based in Tamil Nadu, has also laid claim to the property saying it is rightfully theirs since they came first. In order to gain the judge’s sympathy, Govinda’s mother Asha (Renuka Shahane) pretends to be disabled even though there is nothing physically wrong with her. The problem here is that this act doesn’t really work for them and becomes a pain to hide. Basically, life is a complete trainwreck for Govinda with no relief in sight. And Govinda’s bad luck reaches its peak when he and his girlfriend find his wife’s dead body.
The supporting cast holds the film together
Vicky Kaushal is convincing in his role as Govinda, a guy who’s always down on his luck and just keeps getting into new kinds of trouble. But Kaushal is no Govinda who could make a comedy film a super hit in the 90s just by showing up and doing his thing.
Kiara Advani is fun to watch and it is her character that provides one of the main twists in the story. She’s kinda boring in the first half but delightfully unhinged for a while in the second half. With Govinda Naam Mera, Bhumi Pednekar shows that she definitely has the potential to play evil characters. She can manage the right expressions and demeanour for it, but her character here felt half-baked. In fact, both the female leads end up being largely forgettable.
We needed to see a lot more of Renuka Shahane. Her character, Asha, could have elevated the comedic value of this film by leaps and bounds. One keeps expecting her to light the screen on fire but that never really happens. If only her character had been written with a little more thought!
The film works on the backs of its supporting cast more than the leads who tend to get lost in the medley. Whether it’s Manju, the loud, nosy, conniving cleaner who works in Govinda and Gauri’s house, Kaustubh, the lawyer who doesn’t really know much about the law except a few keywords, Baldev Chadha, Gauri’s boyfriend and insurance agent, or Six Pack Sandy, a satirical representation of a rich, spoilt brat who is an influencer and wannabe rockstar, the supporting actors were much more fun to watch than the leads.
Govinda Naam Mera won’t invoke rip-roaring laughter, but the film is fun to watch for its utter pandemonium. If you’re looking for an entertaining film with not much to think about, give this one a shot over the weekend.
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