Go Goa Gone

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 the 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, who is originally Indian 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 the 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 the 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

• Saif Ali Khan as Boris
• Kunal Khemu as Hardik
• Vir Das as Luv
• Anand Tiwari as Bunny
• Puja Gupta as Luna (voice dubbed by Urvi Ashar)
• Fahim Fazli as Aziz
• Meenal Thakur as Priyanka
• Suparn Verma as Boss (cameo)
• Larrisa Bonesi as Simone
• Krishna D.K. as Guy Devoured by Zombies
• Jasleen Jil as Uninterested Girl at the Bar
• Anuradha Sharma as Interested Girl at the Bar
• Avinash Serrao as Leetle Zombie
• Abhishek Banerjee as Pharmacist (cameo)
• Pitobash Tripathy as the Drug Dealer in the song "Slowly Slowly" (cameo)
• Soha Ali Khan as Hardik's Ex-Girlfriend (cameo)

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

Eros Music 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

References

1. "''Go Goa Gone'' (15)". [[British Board of Film Classification]].
2. "Go Goa Gone - Movie - Box Office India".
3. [https://web.archive.org/web/20140201200135/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Movies/movie_detail/go_goa_gone Go Goa Gone]. Box Office India
4. (2 May 2013). "Go Goa Gone: Saif's zombie research". [[The Times of India]].
5. (28 March 2013). "Go Goa Gone trailer goes viral". [[Hindustan Times]].
6. "Pune owner's Volkswagen Polo selected winner of 'My Car Superstar' contest".
7. Hungama, Bollywood. (2013-05-10). "Go Goa Gone Box Office Collection {{!}} India {{!}} Day Wise {{!}} Box Office - Bollywood Hungama".
8. (3 July 2018). "Saif Ali Khan will return as Boris in Go Goa Gone 2, shooting starts in January".
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10. (24 May 2017). "GO GOA GONE 2: 'Zombie Hunter' Saif Ali Khan Is Returning Back To 'Kill Dead People'!".
11. (29 August 2017). "The days are not gone for 'Go Goa Gone': Raj and DK".
12. Dasgupta, Piyasree. (10 May 2013). "Go Goa Gone review: Saif's not the only star in the laughathon".
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14. Taran Adarsh. "Review: Go Goa Gone".
15. Meena Iyer. "Review: Go Goa Gone Review". [[The Times of India]]}}{{Rating.
16. Joshi, Namrata. (27 May 2013). "Go Goa Gone".
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18. Shubir Rishi. "Review: Go Goa Gone could have used more fun-gore". Rediff.com}}{{Rating.
19. Chopra, Anupama. (11 May 2013). "Anupama Chopra's review: Go Goa Gone".
20. Gupta, Shubhra. (10 May 2013). "Review: 'Go Goa Gone' aims to make us laugh".
21. Brayton, Tim. (2013-10-24). "Go Goa Gone - Movie Review".
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24. (2014-01-17). "Nominations for 9th Renault Star Guild Awards {{!}} Latest Celebrity Features - Bollywood Hungama".
25. (January 15, 2020). "Go Goa Gone 2 confirmed: 'We are thrilled to bring the characters back to life' says Dinesh Vijan". Hindustan Times.
26. Rakshit, Nayandeep. (3 July 2018). "'I will return as Boris in Go Goa Gone 2': Saif Ali Khan".
27. (16 March 2019). "Release of Saif Ali Khan starrer Go Goa Gone 2 pushed to 2020 due to actors' unavailability of dates".
28. Simran Singh. (September 6, 2024). "Anand Tiwari talks about his series Cadets, reveals if Go Goa Gone 2 is still possible: 'They want...'". DNA India.