‘Govinda Naam Mera’: Why the film is a big step forward for Vicky Kaushal

Recent times have seen the release of a few thrillers as direct-to-digital releases. Vasan Bala made the excellent Monica, O My Darling, a Netflix neo-noir thriller with multiple twists that take the story towards its unexpected conclusion. Shashanka Ghosh’s Disney+ Hotstar psychological thriller Freddy, despite shortcomings in the plot, gave Kartik Aaryan an opportunity to excel in the eponymous role of an introverted dentist who lives with his pet turtle, paints toy airplanes and has a dark side that can scare the daylights out of the viewer. Writer-director Shashank Khaitan’s comedy thriller Govinda Naam Mera (GNM), another Disney+ Hotstar release, stars Vicky Kaushal as dancer and wannabe choreographer Govinda ‘Govya’ Waghmare. Two women control his life: his dominating wife Gauri (Bhumi Pednekar), and Suku, his dancer-girlfriend who also dreams of becoming a choreographer (Kiara Advani). Kaushal’s biggest hit is Aditya Dhar’s military drama Uri: The Surgical Strike, a dramatised version of events during the Indian response to the 2016 Uri attack carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed insurgents from Pakistan. Seen as Colonel Kapil Yadav of the Para (Special Forces), he made a powerful statement of his acting skills in a well-written central role. The gifted actor has appeared in direct-to-digital releases earlier, one of which is Karan Johar’s segment of Lust Stories, a Netflix anthology of short films. The actor later appeared in Shoojit Sircar’s Amazon Prime biographical drama Sardar Udham as the freedom fighter Udham Singh, who assassinated Michael O’Dwyer, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab in British India when the 1919 Jallianwala massacre in Amritsar took place. He has, in short, played a wide range of characters in his not-too-long career and his presence in GNM has made it a much-awaited film. A perfect online release  Kaushal has chosen to act in theatrical and direct-to-digital releases, a forward-thinking decision at a time when films with offbeat ideas totter and die at the ticket counters more easily. Seen in that context, the subject of GNM makes it an appropriate choice for an online release. The film about a married man with a girlfriend and whose wife has a boyfriend may not have found many theatre-going non-metro viewers. Writer-director Khaitan’s basic story idea, which is distanced from real life and steered by eccentric characters living in urban India, could have resulted in an engaging watch for the average OTT-viewing subscriber. It fails to deliver what seems possible at the outset, which is a pity. Kaushal’s protagonist, dancer and aspiring choreographer Govind or Govya Waghmare, is a timid fellow who dances to his wife’s tunes and is even scared of his house help. His wife Gauri’s (Bhumi Pednekar) boyfriend works in an insurance company. Govya’s girlfriend Suku (Kiara Advani), with whom he has been in a relationship for three years, is a fellow dancer who also dreams of becoming a choreographer someday. Among other characters in his life is his lawyer and buddy, Kaustubh (Amey Wagh), who wants to make quick bucks without being the sharpest guy in the courtroom. Govya lives in a dilapidated bungalow that might become someone else’s property. His life takes a turn after Gauri’s dead body is found in the living room, which triggers a chain of events and takes the viewer on a roller-coaster ride. Khaitan appears to have been influenced by a happening in the Drishyam films, although stating what it is will diminish the viewer’s interest in GNM. More crucially, the film fails to capitalise on the possibility of creating more situational humour, which would have made the experience of watching it a thoroughly enjoyable one for the viewer. The glue that binds the film  Good performances by its talented star cast fail to conceal the weaknesses of GNM’s screenplay. But the one actor who will benefit from his appearance in the film is Kaushal, who sparkles as Waghmare. He is trapped in two relationships and problems that seem destined to multiply. He seeks professional growth and needs money to end his marriage, neither of which seems possible anytime soon. Govya makes us laugh hysterically when he dances in front of his wife and her boyfriend with exaggerated movements. His facial expressions undergo a change when he comes across his wife’s body in the room. He seems helpless when the cop at the police station demands answers from him. What happens in the climax is not unexpected. How Waghmare comes across in the last few minutes is what takes the viewer by surprise. GNM is not a first-rate film, but Vicky Kaushal has made the most of an author-backed role. Although the actor’s track record reveals his ability to play diverse characters, his performance in his latest release is a big step forward. The author, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed are personal. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.