Name: Govinda Naam Mera
Director: shashank khaitan
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor,Kiara Advani,Bhumi Pednekar,shashank khaitan,renuka shahane,Vicky Kaushal
Rating: 2 / 5
Plot:
Govinda (Vicky Kaushal) is married to Gauri (Bhumi Pednekar) but has an extra-marital affair with Suku (Kiara Advani). The love triangle sees a new dimension when Govinda’s step brother and step mother come into picture to claim the bungalow that was registered in the name of their father. The property dispute leads to murders and even theft. But who is behind the murder? The questions are answered in Govinda Naam Mera.
What works?
There are some moments in Govinda Naam Mera which spikes interest and takes you into the complicated world of Govinda Waghmare. The final 20 minutes of the film, where all the stories unwind themselves to come together is done nicely and leaves an impact. The film rides on good ensemble cast – right from Vicky Kaushal to Kiara Advani, Bhumi Pednekar, Amey Wagh, Sayaji Shinde, Dayanand Shetty, Viraj Ghelani and Renuka Shahane – and the presence of these actors keeps your hope in the story intact.
There are some comic gags and one-liners, especially the ones with Amey Wagh, that bring a smile on your face. The Bijli song is peppy and Ranbir Kapoor’s cameo is refreshing.
What doesn’t work?
Govinda Naam Mera rides on a rather flat narrative. While the film has an interesting climax, director Shashank Khaitan doesn’t carve an interesting path to reach the climax episode. His characters are poorly written, as you don’t root for the protagonist, Govinda, at any point of time. While the humour works in a couple of scenes, there isn’t enough in the story to bring about laughs at regular interval.
Some of the sub-plots are infused in the narrative to create the intrigue, but they rather act as a distraction. The cast is filled with seasoned actors, but most are not utilized well. The narrative of the film is so flat, that nothing really happens in the first half and the thriller element actually kicks in at the half way mark. Govinda Naam Mera is a film where you keep anticipating some conflicts, scene after scene, but the closure of the sequences leave you wanting for more. The story required bigger conflicts and better humour for the finale to leave an impact.
Performances
Govinda Naam Mera marks Vicky Kaushal’s foray into what could be termed a commercial comic thriller and the actor does well to play his part of Govinda, though he does look uncomfortable in a couple of shots. With the right film, Vicky could get comfortable in the space of the commercial Hindi cinema potboilers. Kiara Advani delivers in a big way and certainly stands out from the rest with her act in the film. The entire cinematic episode of her in the jail is among the best scenes of the film. Bhumi Pednekar does well as a dominating wife, but the character doesn’t have enough shades. Amey Wagh is a riot as a lawyer, in-fact, some of his antiques remind us of Ritesh Deshmukh in the world of Housefull. Viraj Ghelani is decent, whereas Jeeva has some hilarious moments in the over-the-top character of a musician. Renuka Shahane is wasted, same can be said for Sayaji Shinde and Dayanand Shetty. Ranbir Kapoor is charming in his cameo.
Final Verdict
Govinda Naam Mera rides on a rather flat narrative where nothing really comes together apart from the final 20 minutes, which has an element of surprise in the twists and turns. The film tries to balance itself by bringing the world of commercial comedy and dark comedy together, but ends up being neither of the two.
