Bombay to Goa

Even though I don't speak much Hindi, I got a big kick out of this movie. My mother-in-law, who was born in India, rented this title on DVD and watched it while she was visiting us.

I was busy doing something on my computer, while she watched the movie in the background. The unusual songs caught my ear, and I ended up watching much of the movie with her. The title song, "Bombay to Goa," is a note-for-note cover of the Beach Boys' "Help Me Rhonda." The lyrics have been changed, but the melody is clearly the same.

Another song is a medley of old rock-n-roll tunes, sung in English, by an Indian woman in a nightclub. She did a few bars from a song which I believe is called "Jezebel." I have a version from Herman's Hermits. It was very odd to hear this 60s garage song in a Bollywood musical. The same medley also included a portion of "Fever," also sung in English.

S. Ramanathan's Bombay to Goa is one classic and light entertainment. This film stars Aruna Irani as Mala, a young woman who runs away from some gangster and manages to get into a red bus titled "PC Travels", which is bound for Goa. The reason for her escape is shown through some inconsequential flashback later on. This flashback is my least favourite sequence in the film and it was poorly done. What makes Bombay to Goa memorable is, as the title itself suggests, the bus journey from Bombay to Goa in which the majority of the story actually takes place. This adventurous and comic journey introduces us to a totally mixed bunch of passengers from all over India, from different religions and cultures. Two significant characters are those of Rajesh, the bus driver, and Khanna, the conductor - two characters played by real-life brothers, Anwar Ali and the great Mehmood, respectively. The list of travelers includes, among others, a married couple named Amma and Appa with their fat son, a sleeping passenger (Keshto Mukherjee), a chubby and heavily made-up woman (the wonderful Manorama) sitting at the back of the bus with her daughter, and an elderly noisy woman named Kashibai (Lalita Pawar).

The situations we get to see through this episode are very funny and enjoyable. The film is light, feel-good (except for some unsuccessful attempts at thriller in the flashback sequence, which are boring) and happy, and is flavoured by some nice tunes composed by RD Burman. I liked Kishore Kumar's appearance as himself and I loved Usha Utthup's number in the club where she sang "Listen To The Pouring Rain" as soulfully as ever. The show-stealer in this film is undoubtedly Mehmood. He is hilarious and brilliant and gets the best dialogues. Amitabh Bachchan does not have a very significant role, just a few action scenes and a few romantic scenes, but he does well in what he is given. Aruna Irani gets a leading role, one of the few in her career, and she does well. Manorama is simply outstanding, the funny faces she makes are awesome and she keeps reminding me a lot of her role in that same year's classic Seeta Aur Geeta. Lalita Pawar is great as always, while Anwar Ali and Shatrughan Sinha are adequate. One of the film's funniest scenes is in the ending - the entire action sequence was extremely funny. Bombay to Goa is a fun watch, nothing particularly great but still a memorable and entertaining little film.

I first saw this movie a couple of weeks ago and have loved it ever since! Past the areas of suspense and family values, the part of this film that makes it a cut above the rest is the bus journey from Bombay to Goa with the passengers being a cast of some of the funniest looking characters you will ever see together in one film. Some of the funny goings on during the journey is pure genius.

This is one film where no credit can be given to Amitabh Bachchan as his role was something even an extra could have pulled off.

Fast Forward all the suspense then sit back and enjoy the comedy. If you have a silly sense of humour, and don't mind watching old films...I guarantee this film will make you laugh!

Laugh attack keyword: 'Pakora'

I knew a ryan dariel brothers they were staying in aunts building in mumbai one of the brothers have a few hotels in goa presume will love goa I also had a konkan friend he was a salesman when we were together in a yellow page publication.sales of adspace in that yellow page I think sangeeta nadkarni in my primary school was also from goa.

A fun ride with some hilarious moments during the bus journey, a special appearance by Kishore Kumar and a vintage Usha Uthup & Amitabh Bacchans first movie as a hero. This movie will always be remembered for giving us the hit song "Dekha na".