Excel Entertainment has made many films based on friendship which have entertained the audience. Their journey started with Dil Chahta Hai, which turned out to be a Cult Classic. Dil Chahta Hai changed the face of Indian Cinema and gave birth to urban cinema. Dil Chahta Hai is one of the greatest films made on friendship. From Dil Chahta Hai to Madgaon Express, Excel Entertainment has come a long way.
Excel Entertainment has excelled in providing entertaining content to cinema lovers. Talking about films based on friendship, Excel Entertainment has produced films like Dil Chahta Hai, Rock On, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Fukrey, Fukrey Returns, Fukrey 3, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, etc. With Madgaon Express, Excel Entertainment has once again cracked the formula of making a decent friendship flick, partially.
Madgaon Express has many enjoyable and funny moments which will make the audience go crazy. The film has some hilarious punchlines, humorous dialogues and witty one liners which are enough to satisfy the audience.
Madgaon Express narrates the tale of three childhood companions, Dodo (Divyenndu), Pratik (Pratik Gandhi) and Ayush (Avinash Tiwary), whose Goa trip takes an unexpected turn when they discover cocaine in their hotel room, possibly linked to either Don Mendoza (Upendra Limaye) or Kanchan Kombdi (Chhaya Kadam).
Kunal Kemmu has made his directorial debut with Madgaon Express. He is very impressive as a director. He is a good actor when it comes to comedy, but he can also do better as a director in the same genre. Kunal’s direction has some flaws, but the final outcome is fine. He should direct more films in future which may lead him to make a very good film in the comedy genre.
We have already seen the funny side of Divyenndu in Chashme Baddoor and Pyaar Ka Punchnama. Divyenndu delivers a cracking performance and his character also reminds us of the 2 films mentioned above. Pratik Gandhi is a fabulous actor and it was indeed a great fun to watch his funny side. Pratik’s character has different shades and he nails all of them. Avinash Tiwary had won the hearts of the viewers with his intense act in Laila Majnu, and this time he will win the hearts once again with his superb comic timing. Nora Fatehi should only concentrate on dancing. She is the wrong passenger (amidst all the actors) who has boarded this express train and irritates everyone with her poor act. Upendra Limaye is an actor who doesn’t need any introduction after his wonderful cameo in Animal. This was a tailor made role for him and he shines on-screen. Chhaya Kadam is another talented actress from the Marathi industry, who has always left an impact and she is no different in Madgaon Express. She deserves all the praise for pulling out this character with such an ease. Watch out for Kunal Kemmu’s hilarious cameo.
There are many films which have ample of enjoyable moments, but they fail to impress throughout. Madgaon Express is also a film which has its moments in parts, but the film cannot be judged on the basis of just those enjoyable parts. On the whole, Madgaon Express turns out to be an average affair. The story dips a little bit in between which hurts the narrative.
The first 45 minutes of Madgaon Express are a complete riot, but after that the film loses its track. In the second half, there are some scenes which do not fit well in the narrative. A little bit of trimming in the length would have made this film more interesting.
The screenplay is fast paced and doesn’t make you feel bored. There are some scenes which look low on pace, but they are uplifted with punchlines and dialogues.
The best part of Madgaon Express is that the comedy doesn’t look forced. The comedy is purely organic and looks genuine. The writing deserves credit here. The writers have succeeded in creating hilarious situations and keeping the audience invested. There are many mad scenes which will make people go crazy by laughing to the fullest. There are many whistle worthy scenes which will make you hoot and cheer for the characters. The trailer did not bring any laughter, but the film surely does.
The music plays a spoilsport here. The music harms the pace of the film and breaks the momentum. Though the songs are situational, the lyrics aren’t catchy and so is the music.
Excel Entertainment has tried to bring back the nostalgia with Madgaon Express. The film has many references to films like Dil Chahta Hai, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Lakshya amd Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. from Excel’s filmography.
Overall Madgaon Express is a mad and crazy ride which will make you forget all your problems for those 144 minutes. The film passes in providing wholesome entertainment but lacks in providing superiority in quality. Excel has once again cracked the friendship formula, but only partially. You can board this express once, but the choice is yours, if you want to follow the OTT route or the theatrical one. Madgaon Express has its moments, otherwise an average film which can be seen once by enjoying at that very moment and forgetting at the next.
Rating – 2.5/5*
