In Abhishek Dogra’s upcoming comedy Fryday, Varun Sharma’s salesman Rajiv knocks on Gagan’s door to sell a water purifier. However, things do not go as planned, since the customer he is dealing with happens to be cheating on his wife. Gagan is played by comic legend Govinda, so you know what to expect.
Check your brains at the door before you come to watch the film, Govinda said at the launch of the trailer in Mumbai on Saturday. “Just watch the film, laugh and have fun with us,” Govinda said. “Because the more and more you start thinking about my films, the more scary they seem.”
Directed by Abhishek Dogra (Dolly Ki Doli) and written by Manu Rishi Chadha and Rajeev Kaul, the comedy of errors also stars Brijendra Kala, Sanjay Mishra and Digangana Suryavanshi. Fryday will be released on October 12.
Fryday is Govinda’s only release in 2018. He has been making sporadic appearances on the screen, including in Kill Dil (2014) and Aa Gaya Hero (2017), but he hasn’t been able to match the success of his films with David Dhawan in the 1990s and 2000s.
Fryday might just do the trick, the 54-year-old actor said. “After a long time, I have got such a nice film to work on,” he said. “It was a pleasant surprise working with such talented actors. Varun [Sharma] is too good. I knew that this film would be a super hit. If both of us reduce weight, we will both become superstars.” .
Most of the film plays out within the confines of a house, Dogra said. “The comedy of errors in the life of a salesman was an exciting story to me,” he added. “When I was approached to direct the film and got to know that Govinda would be starring in it, I immediately said yes. We have incorporated a few Govinda-isms in the film. We just wanted people to have good fun.”
Fryday reminded Govinda of some of his best movies. “I am not very easily satisfied with my films,” he said. “But this film is naturally charming because all the artists are great. During the filming of Shola Aur Shabnam, I used to tell Anupam Kher that I wasn’t able to speak my dialogue in front of him because I was laughing too much. It used to be the same for Shakti Kapoor in Raja Babu. After a long time, I felt the same with Brijendra Kala.”
After making his debut in 1986 with Ilzaam and Love 86, Govinda headlined numerous riotous comedies. Many of them, including Aankhen (1993), Coolie No 1 (1995) and Hero No 1 (1997), were directed by David Dhawan. The 2000s have not been kind to Govinda, and newer directors have not been able to exploit his unerring comic timing as did Dhawan.
An actor has not fully flopped until and unless he thinks so himself, Govinda declared. “A lot of people used to tell me that I keep working with anyone and everyone without thinking,” he said. “Back in the day, it used to be that my films became hits. But the youngsters right now are very promising.” The old Govinda will also surface in Rangeela Raja, the actor assured. Directed by former Central Board of Film Certification chairperson Pahlaj Nihalani, Rangeela Raja is supposedly based on fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya.