Madgaon Express follows the story of three friends who finally get a chance to visit Goa. But everything that can go wrong does go wrong in this Anti- Dil Chahta Hai of a drama😂! The story here is refreshing even from a premise point of view that has a relatability factor to it(like I had mentioned in the introduction). But what truly works in the brand of comedy here which is somewhere between slapstick and situational! I can’t remember the last time I had laughed this much in a theatre, right from the start to the end. And kudos to the writing for reintroducing this brand of comedy which was long forgotten by the Hindi Film Industry. The screenplay standing at about 144 minutes is sharp with its comedy and consistently does throw one gag after another along its runtime, something that resulted in some delirious hysteria of the highest order. This was probably Dil Chahta Hai on steroids in a drama that went completely bonkers with its writing!

The drama here begins with the younger version of the protagonists in high school. The year is 1998 when the trio plan to visit Goa for the first time. Goa as a state is terribly typecast particularly amongst youngsters who believe it to be a destination for ‘beaches, bikinis, babes and babes with bikinis on beaches😂'(which isn’t entirely true but who is going to tell ‘them’). But firstly, they needed to cross the first hurdle of convincing their parents, a mission that was unsuccessful and aborted there and then! Cut to 2003, and two years since Dil Chahta was out when our now ‘somewhat’ grownup protagonists decide to visit Goa in an impromptu plan. Once again, after 30 odd injuries later(when they barely made it across the road), the plan is aborted. And I liked how the writers here brought the concept of ‘life’ in the picture. Yes, people move on, so do friends and you always feel that you are left behind while the world has moved on from you. This little period did exploit this sentiment wonderfully well with an undercurrent of sadness even when the drama on the surface was a comedy! All of this drama did unfold against the backdrop of the onset of the social media era that made for an interesting watch even as the three protagonists, now at different positions of life even financially, reignite their plan of visiting Goa. And they have no idea of the things to follow! 

The proceedings are downright hilarious and make for such an enjoyable watch on the big screen. There is a tone tending towards The Hangover with the surface of the drama being in the Dil Chahta Hai mode, a marriage that is honestly made in heaven while their honeymoon is in Goa😂(does that even make any sense). But that is essentially the zany tone of the drama that amounts to comedy in the purest form, and enjoyable in many ways. There isn’t a single dull moment with the writing throwing one punch after the another which will leave you cracking up in your seat. And I also liked the fact that there was a considerable amount of world building with the right kind of characters with their own unique traits thrown in the mix, something which is such a rarity in the Hindi Films(and which was my complaint too for a very long time). 

The zany events of the first hour go a notch up even as you are introduced to the new bunch of actors, even as the protagonists find themselves in a pickle, a compulsory ‘kaand’ from your Goa checklist. But more importantly, the drama does not lose its coherence in the chaos that it tries to create(some parts are illogical but what the hell, I chose to have a good time as a bargain), either through the situations or the characters. Yet the comedy just never slows down, almost reaching its pinnacle in that incredible ‘fish warehouse’ sequence that had me laughing and hooting in joy! The events leading to the final act are also good but how I wish the finale had ended with a bang, almost like a final face-off between all characters! The end was a tad underwhelming but taking nothing away from the craziness of the drama which was an absolute ball to witness!