Kunal Kemmu's Surprise: From Script Practice to Directorial Debut in 'Madgaon Express'

The actor Kunal Kemmu says he wrote "Madgaon Express" as an experiment to see how good he could write, little knowing that the project would grow into a full picture that would also allow him to direct.

It was a secret that Kemmu was writing the screenplay for the critically acclaimed comedy flick, which debuted in theaters this Friday.

"I had no idea this would be made into a movie. For me, writing served as a kind of rehearsal to see if I could pull this off. I went through the procedure alone, and nobody was aware that I was writing it.

"That's the intent with which I wrote it, actually; if it ever gets made, maybe I'll play one of the boys," the actor revealed to PTI in an interview.

Three boyhood friends, Gandhi, Divyenndu, and Tiwary, are followed in "Madgaon Express" as they set out on a Goa trip that entirely goes awry.

Kemmu, who is most known for his roles in the television shows "Abhay," "Kalyug," "Golmaal" franchise, "Lootcase," and other movies, claimed to have originally had the concept for "Madgaon Express" while shooting on the zombie comedy film "Go Goa Gone" (2015).

After hearing the story in 2021, a mutual friend at Excel Entertainment, the production company of Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, chose to produce the film. The actor explained that as lighthearted movies are among the most watched globally, he chose to launch his directing career with one of these kinds of movies.

One of the most popular genres worldwide and one that is easily approachable is comedy. I've received a ton of support for comedies as an actor.

It was also simple to convince others that he is a talented comedian; at the very least, check out some of his comedic writing. Kemmu,40, expressed gratitude for the chance she had.

"Madgaon Express", which also stars Nora Fatehi, Upendra Limaye, and Chhaya Kadam, made Rs 1.63 crore on its first day of sales in the domestic box office, according to the film's makers.

"Entertainment should always come first in a theatrical production since that is the primary reason a person would drive from their home and spend money to be here and be amused... The inexperienced director remarked, "There's no sense if you're not going to entertain him.

Despite his love of comedy, Kemmu stated that as a director, he does not wish to stick to just one genre.

Comedy has no hold on me—not even as an actor, and I sincerely hope not as a director. I can tell you what it's like to perform a comedy as an actor, but as a director, this is really new to me, but I've liked it. I have no idea what it would be like to create something different. Kemmu stated he will continue writing and directing movies in the future, despite the fact that acting is still his "first love".

"I've enjoyed directing, so I'd like to continue doing it if given the chance in the future. I would find a method to make it equal. While directing is really difficult and requires a lot of time and dedication, acting allows you to work on several projects in a year, the director stated.

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