I can’t forget what a great time I had at the t2 office. Such happy times... and then Covid hit,” Vicky Kaushal tells me at the beginning of this chat as we converse about pre-pandemic times. A lot has changed since then for Vicky — an award-worthy performance in Sardar Udham and his much-publicised marriage with Katrina Kaif — but Vicky as a person has hardly changed. The same warmth, the same excitement and the same zeal personify the 34-year-old actor who now goes down the massy, commercial Bollywood potboiler route for the first time with Govinda Naam Mera, that streams on Disney+Hotstar from December 16, and also stars Kiara Advani and Bhumi Pednekar.

Less than 10 days ago, Vicky had parked himself in Calcutta for a few days to shoot for Sam Bahadur, where he plays real-life braveheart armyman Sam Manekshaw. We chatted about the fun he had doing Govinda Naam Mera and what’s changed for him in the one year he’s been married.

What was it like being in Calcutta for the shoot of Sam Bahadur?

The shoot was pretty hectic... we all put in some crazy hours. We shot in the army cantonment at Barrackpore and that is about an hour-and-a-half away from Calcutta. I was zapped by the fact that it would be bright and sunny at 5am there, and pitch dark at 5pm! (Laughs) So we had to wake up at 2.30am in order to be able to reach there and start shooting by 5am. We would get back to Calcutta by 7pm and by 8, our batteries would be completely down because we knew we would have to wake up at 2.30am again. It was hectic, but it was also lovely. I had the best food over there.

I am looking forward to Govinda Naam Mera. The trailer is fun and for a change, you don’t have to be the intense guy! What was your first reaction when you were offered the part of this out-and-out tapori?

I was very happy that someone had at last thought of me in a fun avatar! (Laughs) I have always been offered a lot of serious roles — which I have no complaints about — but there is a fun side to me which comes naturally as well. I am a fun-loving person... I love goofing around and dancing around, and I wanted to explore that on screen as well. Personally, I had reached that point as an actor where I was just out of Uri, Bhoot and Sardar Udham and those were pretty intense roles, especially Sardar Udham, and I was dying to do something fun, lighthearted and colourful. A film where I don’t have to go to set and cry and I don’t have to think of some intense scenes. I was just wishing for it, nothing had come to me then.

Then, Shashank (Khaitan, the director of Govinda Naam Mera) called me one day and said he was thinking of making something funny and lighthearted. That was the time of Covid and people were going through a really tough time and he wanted to make something that would give them a fun two hours. Nothing preachy or serious... just a lighthearted, popcorn film. I told him that as an actor, I was really craving for something like this. He narrated the film to me and things worked out because as an audience, I am a fan of the kind of comedy that comes out of a situation of chaos in the film because of multiple characters. I have grown up on the films made by Priyadarshan, Rajkumar Santoshi and David Dhawan, and Govinda Naam Mera is cut out of that same cloth where multiple mad characters come together and there is comedy happening and dance and masala and thrill... we have also put a murder in this film. So the characters in this film are going through a really tough time, especially my character Govinda Waghmare, and everyone is on top of him and making his life hell. But for the audience, the situations are all comic.

Honestly, I feel like this is my debut film because it’s so new for me, and also for the audience which is used to seeing me in serious roles. It’s a little nerve-wracking for me, but I am also excited for the film to get out and to see the audience’s reactions.

How are people reacting to this new avatar so far?

I am assuming it is predominantly good (smiles). People were not expecting a murder angle in a comedy film. And then, of course, the fact that they haven’t seen me like this before. It’s been nice and positive so far.

I was also talking to my team the other day. What happens on the Internet is that because it’s your trailer, your film, you get tagged everywhere and you somehow tend to feel that no one is talking about anything except Govinda Naam Mera (laughs). But someone else who is involved with some other work, may not feel the same. I guess I need a more objective viewpoint on this, but I think it’s all positive so far. The songs are doing well... Bijli got a good response, and so did the romantic song Bana sharabi with Kiara (Advani) and me. There is a lot more from the film to bring out to the audiences and we are keeping the curiosity alive.

In real life, are you more of a Govinda or a Vihaan from Uri or Iqbal from Raazi?

I am a mix of both. I am definitely a Govinda in life because at a party, I am not the guy who is going to be standing in a corner and indulging in small talk. I would rather sit at home then. If I am at a party, you will find me on the dance floor having a great time. But there is also a serious, regimented, disciplined side to me that I take very seriously. I like things to be organised in a certain way.

But inherently, I am more of a fun guy. I like to see life in a light way, and not take things so much to heart that it puts me down. My general defense mechanism is to see the silver lining in things.

'I am not the guy who is going to be standing in a corner and indulging in small talk. I would rather sit at home then. If I am at a party, you will find me on the dance floor having a great time. But there is also a serious, regimented, disciplined side to me that I take very seriously. I like things to be organised in a certain way'

Has this regimented, disciplined nature of yours enhanced further after marriage because Katrina is widely known to be one of the most disciplined actresses around?

Yes, she is definitely that person. Our equation worked so well because she is one of the most disciplined and hardworking people I have ever come across. When she has a shoot coming up, she goes into another zone altogether... I keep telling her that it’s not a human zone at all! (Laughs) She knows what she wants and she knows how to reach there. I really, really admire that about her, and I try and imbibe that myself. That is one of the major reasons which has enabled her to achieve what she has in so many years in the industry.

Govinda Naam Mera is a massy film made for the theatres. At a time when people are going back to cinemas, it would have made sense to release this on the big screen....

It’s only recently, maybe just this year, where films are being made knowing that they will release only on OTT. Earlier, we were making films thinking it’s for the theatres and then releasing on OTT given the circumstances, because the prime agenda for us is to reach the maximum audiences in the best way possible. It’s only in the last two years that we have had this flexibility.

Releasing Sardar Udham on a streaming platform worked for us because we wanted audiences across the world to watch it. Every producer knows which medium is the best fit for his film, so that maximum audiences watch it. Even Kiara’s Shershaah released on OTT but today, we don’t remember it as a theatrical film or an OTT film... we simply remember it as a great film that people enjoyed. Once people resonate with a film, no matter where it comes, they will always remember it. Nobody will tell you: ‘Don’t watch it because it’s on OTT.’ They will tell you to watch it or not watch it depending on whether it’s a good or a bad film.

Growing up in that era, most of us are fans of ’90s Bollywood. Any particular favourites?

My go-to combination, all through the ’90s, were films which had Govinda, Kader Khan and Johny Lever. It was my favourite, favourite combination! They did so many back-to-back films, but they were hilarious every time... right from the writing to the pitching of jokes and what they would create was so classic. It’s so evergreen... the films that made us laugh in the ’90s make us laugh even today. As a kid, I had no knowledge of cinema or its technicalities, I would just sit back and laugh-out-loud watching these films. It was pure fun.

What’s it been like reuniting with Kiara after Lust Stories and with Bhumi who put in a cameo in Bhoot. During the promo tour for Jugjugg Jeeyo, Kiara had told me you are her favourite co-star, much to Varun Dhawan’s disappointment!

Haan, Kiara ne mujhe bataya bhi tha that Varun sulked and said: ‘What rubbish! He’s not even your best friend!’ (Laughs) To be honest, Kiara is one of my favourite co-stars as well. I really, really enjoy her vibe. She’s one of the simplest and easiest persons to work with. She’s not fussy at all. In case a co-star wants to rehearse before a shot, she’s always up for it. She’s a thorough professional... always on time, and there is absolutely no fuss with Kiara. Also, I believe that among today’s generation, she is one of the best actors that we have. You give her any emotion, any genre, any set-up, she just delivers... whether it’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, Lust Stories, Shershaah or Kabir Singh. She’s proven herself as a professional, an actor and a star. It’s been such a short journey for her and she’s achieved so much, all thanks to her talent and her hard work. Sometimes, one’s bandwidth matches with someone else, and I find that happening organically with Kiara all the time.

Bhumi has a certain spunk which is very infectious. In Govinda Naam Mera, the character she plays, Gauri, has a certain spice, tadka to herself. This is what Bhumi is in real life also. When she enters a room, the vibe automatically changes. Her energy enters first, and it’s always alive... it’s never thanda. She brings this spunky energy to every shot and that automatically benefits her co-stars. What I love about working with Bhumi is that you have to be completely on the ball, you have to be present all the time and match that energy.

'The best thing is that I know I have found a companion for life in her (Katrina). Just being with her, just spending time with her is the most comforting thought. It gives me a lot of peace. I think we are both evolving in the best way possible by being in this marriage together'

You and Katrina will complete a year of marriage on December 9. What’s been the best thing about this marriage and something that you are still trying to make peace with? I have heard you saying how your closet space has shrunk!

The best thing is that I know I have found a companion for life in her. Just being with her, just spending time with her is the most comforting thought. It gives me a lot of peace. I think we are both evolving in the best way possible by being in this marriage together.And, of course, the little things like the ever shrinking closet space is just part and parcel of the territory (laughs) Not that I need that much closet space because I am a very tee and denim kind of guy. I am okay with that.