Madgaon Express Review {3.5/5} and Review Rating
Star Cast: Prateek Gandhi, Divyendu, Avinash Tiwari, Nora Fatehi
Director: Kunal Khemu
Margaon Express Movie Synopsis:
Margaon Express It is a story of three friends in trouble. In 1998, Dhanush Sawant aka Dodo (Divyendu), Pratik Garodia aka Pinku (Pratik Gandhi) and Ayush Gupta (Avinash Tiwari10th from Mumbai and dreams of going to Goa after board exam. They cannot do so due to parental disinterest. In 2003, he once again planned a trip after his graduation. Unfortunately, an accident occurs as soon as the car starts its journey. This plan has been stalled once again. A few years later, Pinku moved to Cape Town while Aayush migrated to New York. Both become successful in life and their pay packages also increase. Meanwhile, Dodo can’t hold a steady job. He keeps in touch with Pinku and Aayush on social media and sees them become stinking rich. So, Dodo uses photoshop to fake a picture that he lives in a penthouse and is having the time of his life. In 2015, Pinku and Ayush decided to move to Mumbai. They inform Dodo about it and tell him that they will be staying in his ‘penthouse’! Dodo is obviously stressed and so he suggests that the three of them carry out their plan to go to Goa as soon as they land. Pinku and Ayush agree. Since Dodo couldn’t afford the expensive air tickets, he booked three tickets on the Madgaon Express on the pretext of traveling like he did when he visited the coastal state in 2003! Pinku and Ayush hate the idea but accept it. Unfortunately, for them, things go wrong even before they board the train and soon, they have to face dangerous criminals like Kanchan Kombadi (Chhaya Kadam) and Mendonza Bhai (Upendra Limaye). What happens next sets up the rest of the film.
Margaon Express Movie Story Review:
Kunal Khemu’s story is mind-blowing. Kunal Khemu’s screenplay moves at a nice pace – neither too fast nor too dragging. He peppers the story with some hilarious and outrageous moments that will bring the house down. However, the writing could have been more imaginative in the second half. Kunal Khemu’s dialogues are one of the USPs of the film and add to the craziness.
Kunal Khemu’s direction is supreme. As a first timer, he handles implementation like a seasoned pro. He tries to establish the characters and the setting before taking it to Goa. While doing so, the entertainment part remains a priority. He also focuses on physical comedy. The audience has not seen it for a long time and that goes in the favor of the film. The villains are well formed and add to the humor of the film.
On the other hand, the film has a lot of songs. The film sinks in the second half. Dr Danny’s (Remo D’Souza) track doesn’t work as intended. The chaos at the base of Kanchan Kombodi is intriguing but could be more fun. The film, at this point, becomes too violent and might alienate family audiences. Kanchan could have been the next Bholi Punjaban but she doesn’t get to show her funny side. The climax is unexpected but after seeing so much fantastic stuff in the movie, the finale is expected to be next level. It doesn’t and it can leave the audience feeling a bit off.
Margaon Express is off to a great start. The way the Dodo starts giving false impressions on social media is pretty good. The fun begins in 2015 when he meets Pinku and Aayush and pretends to walk purposefully like a middle-class person. The sequence of stations and trains is quite funny. But once Pinku overdoses on cocaine, the madness multiplies. After the interval, Mendonza Bhai’s interrogation scene takes the cake. Finally the airport scene will leave the audience in splits. The film ends with the promise of a sequel.
Margaon Express | Official Trailer | Divyendu Sharma | Pratik Gandhi Avinash Tiwari Nora Fatehi
Margaon Express Movie Screening:
All the three artists succeed but Prateek Gandhi takes the cake. His character is the most interesting and during the cocaine overdose track, he is excellent. It is also good to see him in such a space for the first time in a Hindi film. Divyandu comes to the field of comedy after age and he is awesome. Avinash Tiwary too, as befits his character, puts his best foot forward and is restrained in his actions. Nora Fatehi (Tasha) looks beautiful and performs well. Chhaya Kadam rocked the show. Her character is novel and she does full justice to it. She should have done more in this film. Upendra Limaye plays a character similar to the one he essayed in ANIMAL (2023). Still, it’s interesting. Remo D’Souza looks dashing and looks fair, but a more popular actor would have been better suited for the part. Umesh Jagtap (Constable Santosh Sathe) and the actors and senior cops playing Ganpat are fine. Kunal Khemu is charming in a cameo.
Margaon Express Movie Music and Other Technical Aspects:
Songs are average. ‘Raton Ke Najare’ is the best of the lot and comes at a critical juncture. ‘Baby It On’Meanwhile, the credits are played at the end. ‘We’re here’ Used well in the movie. ‘not funny’ is forced ‘too heavy’ And ‘who is your mother’ are relegated to the background. Sameeruddin’s background music suits the mood of the film.
Adil Afsar’s cinematography is commendable, especially for the scenes shot in confined spaces. Prachi Deshpande’s production design is realistic. Sabina Haldar’s costumes are authentic and the ones worn by Nora are glamorous. Ejaz Gulab and Vikram Dahiya’s action is a bit hot. Anand Subya and Sanjay Ingle’s editing was satisfactory in the first half but could have been sharper in the second half.
Margaon Express Movie Conclusion:
Overall, Margaon Express is a decent entertainer and has the potential to work in the youth. A four-day weekend can also go in its favor.
