Amassive bungalow worth hundreds of crores in the heart of Mumbai. Several hopeful claimants. And a whole lot of fun. Wait, scratch the last bit. ‘Govinda Naam Mera’ is intended to be an easy-breezy caper, but the laughter stays strictly sporadic.
This crowded ensemble looks as if it was primed for fun and games, but is left to meander in a ramshackle plot. Govind A Waghmare aka Govinda (Vicky Kaushal) is a wannabe choreographer, shuttling between film sets where he dances behind the hero, and keeping up the spirits of his wheelchair-using ‘aai’ (Renuka Shahane). That is, when he is not yo-yo-ing between his domineering ‘biwi’ Gauri (Bhumi Pednekar), demanding girl-friend Suku (Kiara Advani), and his lawyer pal (Amey Wagh).
Govinda’s flat broke, and in debt, and the only thing that’s keeping him going is the potential sale of the golden goose. Keeping a suspicious eye on the proceedings is Crime Patrol fan Manju bai (Tripti Khamkar). Did I miss anyone? Phew.
A dogged mother-and-son, the latter a dead ringer for Dhanush, are circling closer to the big prize. If it’s a matter of property, can a canny builder be far behind? And can a crooked cop (Dayanand Shetty) be kept at bay? If that’s not enough, a businessman (Sayyaji Shinde, to be seen mostly wearing a dressing-gown, reminding you of old-style baddies) and his sonny boy with a habit (Jeeva) , bring some low-rent villainy to the table. There’s a dodgy insurance guy (Viraj Ghelani) in the know of a lucrative policy. And then, dhan-tan-a-aan, there’s a dead body. Who is the killer? And who pips everyone else to the post?
This should have been a riot. It feels like each of these characters should have had a moment or two that they could own. What’s the point of scam artists, trying to pull a fast one on each other, otherwise? But you are hard put to recall one stand-out sequence in the two-hour and some film, which starts feeling longer than it should almost as soon as it starts. A character, ostensibly living with the debilitating impact of a stroke, is set up for laughs. No kidding. Even the songs-and-dances, pictured on the agile pair of Kaushal and Advani, are forgettable. So is the film.
Govinda Naam Mera movie cast: Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Kiara Advani, Sayyaji Shinde, Renuka Shahane, Amey Wagh, Akshay Gunawat, Jeeva, Viraj Ghelani, Dayanand Shetty, Tripti Khamkar
Govinda Naam Mera movie director: Shashank Khaitan
Govinda Naam Mera movie rating: 1.5 stars
