Go Goa Gone

''Go Goa Gone'' is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language zombie action comedy film directed by Raj & DK. The film stars Saif Ali Khan, Kunal Khemu, Vir Das, Anand Tiwari, and Puja Gupta. Set partly in Mauritius, where nearly one-third of the film was shot, the narrative follows a group of friends who travel to Goa for a rave party and find themselves trapped on an island overrun by zombies. It is widely regarded as India’s first zombie film and has also been described as the country's first stoner comedy.

The film was released theatrically in India on May 10, 2013. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its pacing, editing, and inventive use of genre eleelements le criticizing the screenplay and its second half. Despite this, ''Go Goa Gone'' was a commercial success and gradually attained cult status for its offbeat humor and genre-bending approach.

A sequel, ''Go Goa Gone 2'', was officially announced but remained in development limbo as of 2024.

Plot

Hardik and Luv are two friends living in Mumbai with their roommate Bunny. After Hardik loses his job and Luv experiences a breakup, the two accompany Bunny on a business trip to Goa in search of distraction and relaxation. There, Luv meets Luna, who invites them to a rave party hosted by the Russian mafia on a secluded island. At the party, a powerful new drug called D2RF is introduced, though the three friends choose not to consume it due to its high cost.

The next morning, the island is overrun by zombies. Attempting to flee, the group discovers that Luna is still on the island and ventures to a villa to find her. Inside, Luna explains that her friend became ill after taking the drug, subsequently turned into a zombie, and attacked the others. The group escapes the villa and encounters Boris, a Russian mafioso, and his associate Nikolai, who are armed and experienced in fighting the undead.

Boris and Nikolai plan to escape the island using the boat that brought them there. They provide Luv and Hardik with firearms and instruct them to conserve ammunition, but the duo wastes their bullets on a single zombie. Boris later explains that the drug D2RF shuts down all bodily functions except the hypothalamus, leaving users driven only by hunger.

While attempting to reach the boat, the group is forced to hide from a horde of zombies. Boris kills one of the attackers with a knife, saving Hardik. As they navigate the forest, they learn that the mainland has also been infected. Taking shelter in a vacant house, the group finds food and rests for the night. Boris, suspecting Hardik is infected, tries to eliminate him but relents after his friends intervene. Boris departs with Nikolai, warning the others to remain vigilant.

That night, zombies locate the house and attack. The group flees and returns to the site of the rave party in search of supplies. Bunny is caught in a tent and presumed dead. As the others are overwhelmed, Boris and Nikolai arrive to rescue them, though Nikolai is bitten and chooses to stay behind.

The group later discovers that Boris returned to retrieve his hidden stash of cocaine. Hardik receives a call from Bunny, who is alive and stranded on a tower. They launch a rescue mission, but Boris is surrounded by zombies during the effort. Bunny explains that he repelled the zombies by throwing cocaine at them, which, when combined with D2RF, immobilized them. The group replicates this tactic by dispersing cocaine into the air, allowing Boris to shoot the packets and freeze the surrounding zombies. Boris is then forced to kill Nikolai, who has turned, using a rocket launcher.

The group reaches the seaside and prepares to depart. As they board the boat, Boris nearly shoots Ariana, a zombie, but is stopped by Hardik, who tricks her into disembarking. The group sails away, reflecting on the destructive consequences of drug use.

Upon returning to the shores of Goa, they find the city in ruins. Armed with their weapons, they brace for further danger as the screen fades to black with the message: "The End... is near."

Cast

Production

Development

''Go Goa Gone'' was originally conceived as a crime comedy before evolving into a zombie comedy, blending horror with humor in what became India's first zombie film. Kunal Khemu, who was involved in the writing process, suggested casting Saif Ali Khan in the role of Boris. Khan, intrigued by the genre, was the directors’ first choice for the role. To prepare, he was given '' The Zombie Survival Guide'' by Max Brooks, as he had no prior experience in the genre.

Casting

Khan was cast as Boris, a Russian mafioso turned zombie hunter. The lead cast also included Khemu, Vir Das, Anand Tiwari, and Puja Gupta.

Filming

Principal photography began in 2012, with about one-third of the film shot on location in Mauritius. The island served as the stand-in for the fictional zombie-infested setting, with additional scenes filmed in Goa and Mumbai.⁴

Marketing

Promotion

''Go Goa Gone'' was marketed as India's first "Zom-Com," a term used to highlight its blend of zombie horror and comedy.

As part of its promotional campaign, the filmmakers partnered with Volkswagen India for a unique cross-branding initiative. A specially selected Volkswagen Polo featured in the film was chosen through a public contest titled "My Car Superstar!" conducted in collaboration with the company.

Soundtrack

The film's music was composed by the duo Sachin–Jigar, with lyrics written by Priya Panchal and Amitabh Bhattacharya. The soundtrack features vocal performances by Jigar Saraiya, Talia Bentson, Sachin Sanghvi, Priya Panchal, and Shreya Ghoshal.

Reception

Box office

''Go Goa Gone'' was released on 10 May 2013 and had a production budget of approximately ₹19 crore. The film collected around ₹3.75 crore on its opening day and ₹12.9 crore over its opening weekend in India. By the end of its theatrical run, it had earned a total of ₹25.16 crore net domestically (₹32.26 crore gross) and approximately ₹5.56 crore overseas, bringing its worldwide gross to ₹37.82 crore.

Critical response

''Go Goa Gone'' received mixed reviews upon its release but has since garnered a cult following within the horror-comedy genre. Critics praised its innovative blend of zombie horror and comedy, though some noted shortcomings in its screenplay and pacing.

Piyasree Dasgupta of ''Firstpost'' likened the film's appeal to that of ''Delhi Belly'', commending its "superb pace" and "smart editing." Lisa Tsering of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' described the film as starting "promisingly," highlighting its "infectious" soundtrack, but criticized the screenplay for "fizzling out halfway through."

Taran Adarsh of ''Bollywood Hungama'' awarded the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, stating, "On the whole, ''Go Goa Gone'' is experimental since something like this has never been attempted earlier. But it's fun, witty, amusing and yes, thoroughly entertaining." Meena Iyer of ''The Times of India'' gave it 3 out of 5 stars, noting, "''Go Goa Gone'' is positively different from anything you have seen before. And for the young and restless or even those who like whacked-out fun, it's a great ride." Namrata Joshi of ''Outlook'' rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, summarizing it as "fun, sharp, smart and irreverent," and noted that it "pushes many of our sanctimonious envelopes."

Rajeev Masand gave the film a 3 out of 5 rating, writing, "So much in this film is good until it all goes nowhere in the end." Shubir Rishi of ''Rediff.com'' rated it 2.5 out of 5 stars, stating, "''Go Goa Gone'' is a fun watch. There are plenty of innocent-sounding, slow-exploding one-liners, which are funny." Anupama Chopra of ''Hindustan Times'' also gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars, commenting, "The problem with ''Go Goa Gone'' is too much cleverness and not enough plot." Shubhra Gupta of ''The Indian Express'' rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, writing, "The film would have been funnier if the second act hadn't gone into a slide. And also if Khan hadn't played Boris so straight."

Accolades

Sequel

A sequel to ''Go Goa Gone'' was initially announced with production scheduled to begin in January 2019. However, filming was postponed to September 2020 due to scheduling conflicts among the lead cast. On 15 January 2020, Maddock Films released the first-look poster of ''Go Goa Gone 2'' on its social media platforms, announcing a planned release for March 2021. The project was subsequently delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sequel was expected to continue the story from the first film, with Saif Ali Khan, Kunal Khemu, Vir Das, Anand Tiwari, and Puja Gupta all set to reprise their roles.

As of 2024, the sequel remains stalled and is not in active production. In an interview, actor Anand Tiwari stated that he would be open to returning for the sequel, but noted that the decision ultimately rests with directors Raj & DK and producer Dinesh Vijan.

References

External links

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{{Raj and DK

2010s Hindi-language films
2010s Indian films
2013 action comedy films
2013 comedy horror films
2010s buddy films
2013 films
Films about drugs
Films set in Goa
Films set on beaches
Films shot in Mauritius
Indian action comedy films
Indian comedy horror films
Indian buddy films
Indian action horror films
Zombie comedy films
Stoner films
2013 comedy films
Films directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.
Fiction about human–zombie romance
Indian zombie films
Films about substance abuse