Laughing at the Undead: When Indo-Himalayan Folklore Meets Western Zombies in Go Goa Gone

Abstract

Go Goa Gone (2013) is India’s first zombie action comedy movie, blending horror and humor in a unique cinematic experiment. While the film adopts Western zombie tropes, its characters—Hardik, Luv, and Bunny—attempt to interpret the supernatural threat using their own cultural and religious frameworks. This analysis explores how Indian and Nepali popular figures, such as the vetāla, chudel, and bhut, inform the characters’ understanding of the undead. By examining selected scenes, this contribution investigates the interplay between Indo-Himalayan supernatural traditions and Western zombie « lore », showing how cultural hybridity contributes to the film’s humor. Finally, this approach offers insights into the notions of corporeality and spectrality in an Indian horror-comedy context.