Madgaon Express Review

It has been quite a while since we have seen an exaggerated comedy like Madgaon Express from Bollywood. It is the directorial debut and brainchild of actor Kunal Kemmu, who seems to be able to take his comedic chops from being in front of the camera to being behind it with élan. The entire movie is a tribute to cult films from the last decade or two - with references to Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya, Aashiqui 2, and Kemmu's own Go Goa Gone, among others.

I was tempted to add "fantasy" to the categories list for Madgaon Express as it is the story of a group of friends who actually do end up going to Goa. I am sure most 20- and 30-something reading this are going to silently curse me for reminding them that this plan never left their Whatsapp groups.

Dodo (Divyenndu) - whose reality falls well short of his aspirations - wants his more affluent friends Pratik aka Pinku (Pratik Gandhi) and Ayush (Avinash Tiwary) who have since shifted to Cape Town and New York respectively, to experience the "real India" and forsake material comforts like air travel in favour of unreserved seats in a non-A/C coach aboard the titular Madgaon Express. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and the idyllic beach getaway turns into the trio getting into all sorts of shenanigans - drugs, prostitutes, money, guns, feuding gangs, cops ...you name it.

Madgaon Express is pretty committed to making you laugh, and it manages to do that successfully more often than not. We get the smorgasbord - physical comedy, exaggerated slapstick physical comedy, comedic subversions of tropes, stoner comedy, a mistaken-identity-style switcheroo (the fateful red bag), runnings gags (like Mendoza getting misnamed) ...Kemmu serves the audience everything on a platter, and if the cinema we were in were to be believed, the audience laps it all up.

The other great thing about the movie is how the script seems to be grounded in a middle-class reality. Yes, something like Dil Chahta Hai isn't a particularly improbable story, but it is about the experiences of an affluent class of friends. On the other hand, a movie like Fukrey feels like a caricature of the aspirational class. Madgaon Express manages to strike the balance here - even the two NRI friends seem like people who we have heard of: one shifting countries when his entire business family relocates to South Africa, and the other moving to the United States for his education and subsequent employment - neither uncommon occurrences.

What truly make the movie, though, despite its very capable script and production, are its casting and performances. Divyenndu is the glue that holds the trio together. It is rare to see someone who simply isn't a good person be the primary character of a movie without relegating them to be an anti-hero. Dodo's flaws are undercut with an earnestness that makes it possible to sympathise for the character without explicitly rooting for him (not going to lie, plenty of us will secretly wish to see Dodo get his comeuppance, and that will again be subverted by the movie). Divyenndu effortlessly portrays the listlessness of his character's life - putting on a mask to impress his friends, but lonely and unhappy behind said mask.

Pratik Gandhi easily has the most fun part - a worrywart who constantly seems to be uncomfortable, until his character has a dramatic U-turn. And it looks like he had a blast playing that. Avinash Tiwary's Ayush is seemingly the most formulaic - the textbook "hunk" character - but even he subverts expectations by having a persona that is quite different to what you first expect.

The antagonists, Mendoza (Upendra Limaye) and Kanchan Kombdi (Chhaya Kadam), are both brilliant - and lend credence to the fact that characters can be memorable even if they're not fully fleshed out if their stand-out gimmick is strong enough. Nora Fatehi is convincing as a party animal, though she doesn't really have the same focus as the male leads.

There are hardly any weak performances from the rest of the cast, with Kemmu's own short cameo appearance being absolutely hilarious.

Music honestly seems unnecessary in this kind of movie, though we understand the producers' decision to have a few songs. It would be a waste of resources if one were to cast Nora Fatehi in a film and not have her grooving to the film's music, we get it.

Madgaon Express is a loud comedy that teeters on being inappropriate without overstepping that line. It is the kind of movie that can be watched with your family, but it's probably wise not to do that. Either way, I can think of plenty of worse ways to spend a weekend. Go for this one.