Shashank Khaitan is known for helming films like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Dhadak and the web anthology Ajeeb Daastaans (Majnu). His upcoming film Govinda Naam Mera stars Vicky Kaushal, Kiara Advani and Bhumi Pednekar. It will release on an OTT platform on December 16. The Free Press Journal caught up with the filmmaker for an exclusive tête-à-tête.
Shashank, who has a certain style of filmmaking, still feels that he is learning. He says, “I am in a phase where I feel I am still learning and as work in progress. I don’t think that I have made a certain style of storytelling but yes, my writing definitely connects to the people. I still have a long way to go in terms of saying that it’s my style of filmmaking. I am someone who likes to change. If you notice my last three films Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Dhadak, all of them have a different tonality. After these, I wanted to experiment with a different genre in Govinda Naam Mera.”
Varun and Shashank have been hand in glove. When asked how the idea came to replace Varun and cast Vicky, he reveals, “It wasn’t that difficult since I have known Vicky for years. We have done theatre together and met at several social dos. I saw him dancing and doing lip sync and while chatting with him, I realised his fun side. I think what was important was that we treated the film with the same respect as the other films. Emotionally yes, it might be different for him to do Masaan and Govinda Naam Mera… but not his effort. I believe, in a comic scene, if your joke doesn’t land, the scene goes flat. We were very careful of that.”
Govinda Naam Mera is touted as one of massy films of 2022 but since it will release digitally, we probed Shashank if he has any concerns on that front. “It doesn’t affect me as a filmmaker. We all have grown up watching films in theatres and fortunately, all my three last directorials got a theatrical release but for Govinda Naam Mera, the decision was taken in adverse circumstances. We shot this film in the lockdown and eight to nine months ago, even our future was questionable. In fact, we were concerned for the actors since we wanted them to have the biggest release of their careers,” he explains.
There have been a lot of comparisons of the film with the Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday, Bhumi-starrer Pati Patni Aur Woh (2019). “When people will see it, they will come to know that it is not a love triangle. It’s a murder mystery. It’s about Govinda’s world and the madness the rest of the cast adds to it,” he concludes.
