Film: Govinda Naam Mera

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Kiara Advani, Bhumi Pednekar, Renuka Shahane, Amey Wagh, Viraj Ghelani

Director: Shashank Khaitan

OTT: Disney+Hotstar

Rating: 3.5 Moons

What’s the perfect recipe to make a commercial entertainer? Crackling romance, good-looking actors, an engaging plot filled with twists and turns and foot-tapping music. These elements come together to prepare Karan Johar’s piping-hot film, Govinda Naam Mera. But is it worth savouring? Let’s take a look.

Headlined by Vicky Kaushal, Kiara Advani and Bhumi Pednekar, Govinda Naam Mera premiered on Disney+Hotstar today. As the title suggests, the film is centered around Govinda Waghmare (Vicky Kaushal) who is dealing with not just one but multiple problems in his life. The major issue that leads to the whole chaos is his late father Gopi Vishwakarma’s bungalow. Govinda’s mother Asha (Renuka Shahane) becomes the legal owner of the property after Gopi’s demise. But the trouble arises when his second wife and son Vishwa turn up to claim their right to the bungalow.

As the Waghmares continue to fight a legal battle, Govinda’s personal life begins hitting rock bottom. His wife Gauri (Bhumi Pednekar) is a firecracker who trusts her maid over her husband. Amid his troubled married life, Govinda happens to be dating Suku (Kiara Advani). With her, he owns a dance company named G-Su. Govinda is desperate to divorce Gauri but her demand for Rs. 2 crores as alimony acts as a hindrance. In the middle of endless chaos that’s happening in his life, one night, Govinda and Suku find Gauri murdered at home. Govinda becomes the primary suspect for the fact that he owns a gun and his relationship with her was on the rocks. What follows next is a series of unexpected twists and turns.

Shashank makes an effort to bring Vicky, Kiara and Bhumi out of their comfort zones. With distinct characteristics forming the core of the story, Govinda Naam Mera scores a brownie point in that department. Shashank, known for films like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Badrinath Ki Dulhania, gives a unique flavour to the film with thoroughly good cameos. If you are assuming Govinda Naam Mera is a typical murder mystery with a love triangle angle, then Shashank’s got you wrong. There are multiple layers to the narrative and there’s a lot happening in the screenplay. The story is loaded with an array of subplots like drugs, murder, property dispute, extramarital affairs, troubled marriage, cops and a lot more. For the exterior, they all appear to be pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly only in the second hour.

While Govinda Naam Mera is unpredictable and entertaining in the second hour, the first hour is a slow burn. The humour often doesn’t make sense. The drugs angle is dragged and too much to digest in an already content-loaded film. The inclusion of the cop angle also comes across as typical. The chemistry between Vicky and Kiara is crackling whereas Bhumi, as a standalone character, is a bomb.

Getting into the skin of Govinda, Vicky projects the character’s helplessness, smartness and swag with ease. After a point, you will find yourself rooting for Govinda as he makes his way out of the maze of problems. Drawing reference from his real life, there's a dialogue said by Vicky-"Action se darr lagta hai isiliye dancer bana nahi to apne papa ki tarah fight master banta." Well, he pulled that off effortlessly, making it one of the most hilarious and relevant dialogues. 

It won’t be wrong to say that Suku is Kiara’s most sexy role. Dressed in chic crop tops, stylish athleisure wear and Boho makeup, she sets the screen on fire. Rightfully, Kiara carries most of the film on her shoulders, especially in the second half. Bhumi is the surprise package. She adds spice, drama, naughtiness and loads of fun to Gauri. Despite getting a relatively brief role, Bhumi leaves behind an impact with her performance.

Viraj Ghelani as Gauri’s boyfriend is fun to watch. It is disappointing to see Renuka Shahane being reduced to an overacting mother. She deserves better. Dayanand Shetty, cast as a cop again, thankfully gets to play a character who is not named Daya. He does good but deserves much better. Amey Wagh has limited things to do and does well. 

The background score of Govinda Naam Mera is perfect for the setting. The songs are peppy and should have a better recall value in the coming months. Bijli being the most popular track has its benefits but Pappi Jhappi is a quirky, fun song and it will surely find its audience. The cinematography gives the right feels and sets the atmosphere for the proceedings. At 2 hours 11 minutes, the film is slightly long but who looks at the time when you’re having fun! Govinda Naam Mera is an a'maze'ing entertainer with some good twists. Watch it for Vicky, Kiara and Bhumi's spectacular performances.

PeepingMoon gives Govinda Naam Mera 3.5 Moons