Review of Madgaon Express: Kunal Kemmu Is Deserving Of Praise For His Funny Directorial Debut

Madgaon Express Movie Review: A few years after Dil Chahta Hai, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, produced by Excel Entertainment, established a new standard for new-age buddy movies. Although there is a lot of ambiguity around Jee Le Zaraa, Madgaon Express is here to calm your fears. However, because it’s so much more than that, Kunal Kemmu’s feature film debut doesn’t exactly belong on our list of contemporary friendship movies. Although it pays tribute to friendship, the tale also has a lot of uniqueness due to the seamless integration of drug lords, the world of crime, and smuggling against the less glamorous background of Goa.

We are grateful because the Madgaon Express is something we have never seen before. It’s quite difficult to categorize it into a single genre. The movie embraces its own quirks and is outrageous, boisterous, and disorganized. The characters are all strange individuals, most of whom you wouldn’t want to run into in real life. There is a logic to the craziness, even if it almost seems like Kunal opted to create a narrative without following any predetermined storytelling frameworks. The greatest triumph of Madgaon Express is that it’s so disorganized and such a fantastic jumble of stuff that you can’t help but laugh out loud every now and then.

The film centers on three boyhood friends, Ayush, Pratik (lovingly called Pinku), and Dhanush (called Dodo by his friends), who had wanted to go to Goa as guys since they were in school. However, when they become older, Ayush moves to New York and Pinku moves to Cape Town with his family, leading to distinct paths in their lives. While they live their best lives and have respectable jobs, Dodo is confined to Mumbai, where he works as a pizza delivery guy.

A few years later, they re-connect on social media and quickly decide to go to Goa for a reunion. This marks the start of the most daring journey that completely upends their lives. It also allows them to accept each other for who they are, warts and all. Ayush seems to be the most sensible and collected of the group, while Pinku is a Gujarati guy who is too cautious, prone to accidents, and has panic attacks over various situations. But every time adversity arises, Dodo is a classic jugaadu who ends up doing more damage than good.

Some bizarre individuals, such as drug dealer Mendoza, smuggler Kanchan Kombdi, and Tasha, a little girl who says she can solve any problem, are thrown into this mix. As they discover a suitcase full of cocaine while traveling to Madgaon by train, Ayush, Pinku, and Dodo get embroiled in a game of cat and mouse, with Mendoza, Kanchan Kombdi, and Tasha compounding their misery.

Kudos to Kunal for directing his first feature film and doing it off with style. His script is full of humorous one-liners, repartees, and situations, and it’s generally really entertaining. Hardly any jokes are unintentionally funny. The return of physical humor to the mainstream is a joyful sight, as it continues to tickle our funny bones. Madgaon Express has a duration of 2 hours 25 minutes, yet the story seldom slows down, keeping you captivated the whole turbulent and dizzying voyage.

Its worst point, however, is the music. Though Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaara produced hit albums that became cult favorites over time, Madgaon Express hardly has a single song that will stick in your memory. The Dil Chahta Hai instrumental theme, which serves as a reminder of the original buddy movie and its lasting influence, is really its greatest musical composition. But this movie will be a terrific throwback for all those vintage Bollywood fans who love song-and-dance scenes thrown into the story without any kind of logic.

It’s been stated that outstanding performances can elevate an excellent movie, and Madgaon Express is a prime example of this. You’ll find yourself pulling for Divyenndu despite his eccentricities as he plays Dodo with insane enthusiasm. He demonstrates his exceptional comedic timing once again after making waves in Pyaar Ka Punchnama as the middle-class liquid.

Pinku’s actor, Pratik Gandhi, sometimes steals the show. You will see another aspect of the performer, who has shown his abilities through his nuanced and passionate interpretations of characters. Every time Pinku inadvertently inhales cocaine, the generally gentle darling of the bunch transforms into a vicious lion, and the mayhem he causes will make you LOL or even ROFL. It would be fascinating to see Pratik play more comedic parts in the future. His character journey for Pinku is the most delightful.

When contrasted with Pinku and Dodo, it is Avinash Tiwary’s Ayush that is lacking. Nevertheless, he puts his all into the role. His interactions with his two impetuous pals and their too cautious and calculated buddy are all very gold. He often serves as their mediator. There’s no denying their friendship. His humorous timing is more subdued than the other two, and he wonderfully balances them.

The supporting cast includes Animal Renown. Every moment they are in the picture, Upendra Limaye as Mendoza and Chaya Kadam as Kanchan Kombdi will have your whole attention. Watching the feisty and sassy Kanchan Kombdi and her group battle a gang of thugs brandishing firearms and filleting knives while dressed in naths, aviators, and Nauvari sarees is an absolute joy! We should see more strong women like this illuminating our screens. On the other hand, Mendoza seems to be a continuation of Animal’s Freddy Patil, but we don’t mind. He’s equally boisterous and a little sinister.

And Nora Fatehi gets to portray another gorgeous girl in Madgaon Express. Unfortunately, there isn’t much room for her to perform since her character is only partially developed. Renowned director and choreographer Remo D’Souza plays a fully realized part as Dr. Danny, a person who treats drug overdose victims without reporting them to the police. He gets to perform a little action, looks spiffy, and has cornrows. Warning: There is a cameo appearance from Kunal, but it is unrelated and always makes you laugh.

Madgaon Express is the movie for you if you want to laugh aloud and really enjoy yourself with your pals at the movies. It revels in the chaos and craziness of itself. Simply relax and let this exhilarating experience consume you. You won’t be sorry. as movies like this aren’t produced all that frequently. You also wouldn’t want to miss seeing Pratik and Divyenndu perform while dressed in sarees, unintentionally shattering stereotypes of Bollywood’s leading males. Regarding Kunal, we eagerly anticipate his next creations.