A massive 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).
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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.
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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
