Actors Divyenndu and Pratik Gandhi on the making of Madgaon Express

A still from Madgaon Express.

In actor turned writer-director Kunal Kemmu’s directorial debut Madgaon Express (in cinemas now), three childhood friends, Dodo, Ayush and Pratik head to the seaside state of Goa for a taste of beach vibes, water sports and attractive women. Ayush is played by Avinash Tiwary (Bulbbul, Khakee: The Bihar Story). Divyenndu (Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Mirzapur), who plays Dodo, and Pratik Gandhi (Scam 1992) who plays Pratik, spoke about the serious business of comedy. Edited excerpts:

Divyenndu (left) and Pratik Gandhi in a still from Madgaon Express.

Both of you are amazing comic actors and in this film you have been directed by Kunal Kemmu (Golmaal, Go Goa Gone), who is also an amazing comic actor. What was it like doing this kind of comedy and being directed by him?

Divyenndu: It was lovely. Since he also wrote the script, the introduction to the whole project was very nice and warm. We have seen him act on screen, especially in the comedy genre, and he's fantastic in that. When I read the script I thought it was hilarious. It’s not one of those scripts that has gag after gag. Rather it is a situational comedy which flows seamlessly in the screenplay. Once I met Kunal it only solidified the whole thing of how clear he was, how much work he had done on the script. Similarly, when we started shooting, Kunal was absolutely clear and precise with what he wanted. Hence Pratik, Avinash and I really enjoyed working with him on this film.

Pratik Gandhi: Generally during a narration, we get an overall idea about the film. But in this narration, not only were the jokes working for us but there was some physical humour written in. Most of that physical humour happens with my character. I fall from somewhere, my finger gets cut, my head gets swollen. A lot of things are happening. So to visualise this kind of physical humour in the narration is not easy. Kunal actually made it so easy for me, and for all of us, that I could visualise those sequences and that gave me a lot of confidence.

They say comedy is a serious business. When we watch an actor or performer, on stage or film, we always talk about comic timing. What does it take to get that timing right?

Pratik: When performing comedy, an actor should be selfless. The actor should put their ego aside and should become a part of the team, because most of the jokes, 99 per cent of the time, will land with the reaction, not with the way the joke is delivered. So to make it a wholesome experience for the audience, just be selfless and be there. A pitfall in comedy, that I have observed, is that it's easy to get blown away while performing. If you see people around you, on the shooting floor, giggling and laughing, you tend to go one step ahead, and upstage. If we start adding things then the whole thing might not land. So one should know when to stop. This means more responsibility for the actor. While we are making something for people to be entertained and laugh, to create that effortless laughter for the audience takes a lot of effort.

Divyenndu: I agree with Pratik that one should not have an ego when doing comedy, because at times you'll be cracking the joke, and at times you'll be taking the joke. A lot of actors don't really take the joke and if you don't take the joke, then the whole scene falls flat. Comedy is something to be done with a lot of elegance and grace and within boundaries. Otherwise, you see actors jumping on each other, physically harming each other just to be funny. One has to realize there is a certain sur (rhythm, tone) to every comedy. Some are hyperactive comedies. Some are passive, some are active, some are situational. Some are more physical. Our film is a beautiful amalgamation of all these subgenres of comedy in one and hence it was very important for us to understand each and every tone of the scene when we were performing. Thankfully all three of us genuinely like each other's company. It would have been very difficult otherwise. It came from a mutual admiration for each other's work and also because we come from a similar training background where we have all done theatre in our lives, or had some kind of training. We understand what we are doing. That made the whole process enjoyable.

What is the real essence of Madgaon Express?

Divyenndu: I think the uncertainty of things which happen in this film is hard to comprehend after a point. It's like how did you start in this place and end up there? This film is a rollercoaster ride where you think everything's going normally now. They have sorted it out. But then some really big s*** comes and lands right in front of them. What happens in their life is so uncertain and that is the real madness.

Pratik: Another point is that the situations are not happy and humorous for the characters at all. These situations are bizarre, difficult, and so weird that the audience will find it hilarious. But if you see our faces on screen, we are not laughing. We are not even smiling, because we are in those situations. So I guess that makes it even more amusing for the audience, because nobody has played comedy here. We are not trying to create comedy. It is there.

Divyenndu: I don't want anyone to have this extent of experience, seriously. It's a comedy for the audiences, but it's a tragedy for Dodo, Pratik and Ayush. We are going through a lot. If you ask our characters, they were in a tragedy.

Pratik: It’s the biggest tragedy of their lives.

A still from Madgaon Express.

How was the experience of shooting this? Did you get to enjoy Goa?

Divyenndu: Let me just say that we are such wonderful and brilliant actors that we used to finish work before time. But seriously, the credit for that goes to Kunal because he's so quick and so clear in his mind. We had a couple of extra hours every evening, so we could plan our sundowners. We went out and partied responsibly, because the next day we had to shoot. We had a lovely time.

Pratik: We have explored so many restaurants in Goa. Divyenndu has the full list and he would decide where we would go every evening.

Pratik, this film is an interesting addition to your Hindi film repertoire. We've seen you in romantic roles, dramas, you have done comedy on the Gujarati stage. Was this the kind of role you were seeking?

Pratik: Absolutely. I had been waiting for something like this for a long time. Even in Gujarati cinema, nobody explored out and out comedy ever. I explored comedy only on stage. In Gujarati cinema also – and I don't know what and how -- people have this certain image that I am a serious actor. I don't know whether they're confusing sincerity with seriousness, but no one offered me an out-and-out comedy. Whatever was offered to me was not something that I was interested in. So when Madgaon Express came along, I was so happy that finally I'll be doing something that I always wanted.

Going forward, what are some of your forthcoming projects?

Pratik: I'm very excited for Madgaon Express now and then after a month, Do Aur Do Pyaar is coming out. There are a couple of films which are ready which have not been announced yet. And there is the Gandhi series (with Hansal Mehta).

Divyenndu: I have a very good mix of theatrical and OTT shows (Mirzapur) and web films across genres, playing a variety of characters in different settings. I am very happy and excited about the months to come.