Versatile actor Vicky Kaushal, who will be seen in the comedy GovindaNaamMera, believes comedy is a tricky business

Nonika Singh

His intense serious parts might delude you into believing that is who he is in real life. But National Award- winning actor Vicky Kaushal busts the misconception and lets us know how he is a fun-loving person, who loves to crack a joke and shake a leg at the slightest pretext.

Thus the goofy part that he plays in Govinda Naam Mera is just the kind of role he can relate to. Besides right now he is in a happy zone. Indeed, tying the knot with beautiful actress Katrina Kaif has made him even more light-hearted. “To be with a partner of one’s choice makes one glow with happiness.” Another reason for saying yes to the fun film, directed by Shashank Khaitan of Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania fame, was that post-Covid both the director and the actor wanted to bring cheer into people’s lives. As you wonder if the film is a tribute to dancing star Govinda, the actor, who has regaled us with perfect comic timing, Vicky reveals, “Actually it’s an ode to the kind of films I grew up watching in the 1990s — a mix of comedy, thrill, dance; you can call it the perfect masala flick high on naach gaana and laughter.”

Being spontaneous

Doing comedy you might think is a cakewalk, but he asserts, “It is actually a rather tricky terrain and most difficult genre to crack, both for the director and the actor. Jokes either land or don’t.” In short, there is no middle ground. Of course, unlike the intense parts of Sardar Udham or Uri, here this method actor does not have to prepare for the character. He says, “To crack jokes one has to be spontaneous.” On the film releasing on OTT he has no compunction, for he feels, “Ultimately viewers remember a good film not the platform on which it was released.” As an example he cites Sidharth Malhotra’s Shershaah and of course there is Vicky’s Sardar Udham too, which won him many plaudits.

Serious note

Do serious parts also brand an actor as say action or comic? He reminds us how his endeavour always has been to play each role differently whatever may be the genre. In future too we will see him in several fun films, including one with Sara Ali Khan, but he insists, “All will be markedly different from each other.”

Having worked with debutant director as well with big banners, do production houses like Dharma (it has produced Govinda Naam Mera) pamper actors more? He laughs and quips, “Whatever may be the scale, actors are always pampered.” But what matters the most to him is the love of audiences. And that’s what makes super-hits important for this actor of blockbusters like Uri and Sanju.

Success, however, has not changed the person in him for while success does validate one’s work, it’s not meant to be taken seriously. “For there is no person, actor or otherwise who will only see highs in life.” Thus though he has come a long way since Masaan, this Punjabi munda is rooted as ever and will never give up his date with his village near Hoshiarpur.

Coming up

January next will bring him once again to Punjab for the shooting of the biopic on Sam Manekshaw, the first Field Marshal of India. The film also reunites him with his Raazi director Meghna Gulzar.

On Shashank Khaitan, the director of Govinda Naam Mera, he shares, “I have known him since my theatre days, as both of us worked together for Naseeruddin Shah’s The Motley Theatre Group when Shashank used to act.” Will Vicky, who started his innings in filmdom as assistant director to Anurag Kashyap, wield the directorial baton one day? His answer is cryptic, on the lines of serendipity, “Que Sera, Sera — what will be will be.” Till then, he is grateful to the Almighty for bestowing his graces upon him and happy to explore the actor in him.

Watch him turn a new leaf in Govinda Naam Mera, which streams on December 16 on Disney+ Hotstar.