- Date of Release: 18 September 2026
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Thriller
- Language: Hindi
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Vibe
Introduction
The new Hindi film Vibe is both rewarding and frustrating in equal measure. The drama is known to take dizzying heights, only to discover gravity – much like the character of Coyote in the Looney Tunes shorts. In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to compare the protagonist Hardik (Kunal Kemmu) to the Coyote, given his goofy persona of always landing in trouble. He is that sort of a guy that you would meet at home parties smoking a joint; the guy who would tell you casual stories about shooting zombies in Goa, or even visiting a beach thereafter thinking it to be Pondicherry. Ironically, his bestie is Bhagirat ‘Bugs’ (Sparsh Srivastava) in another Looney Tunes reference – a calculative yet naive character minus the street-smart attitude of Bugs Bunny. Incidently, this is the underdog team that you get in a world that possesses the flashiness of the YRF Spy-Universe while emitting the parody spirit of The Naked Gun (1988). The only issue remains on how these two traits would eventually start fighting one another – a reminiscent of Newton’s Third Law, except that the only loser at the end is your sky high expectations.
Story & Screenplay
Written by Kunal Kemmu, there is just so much to like in the film Vibe, a trait that would later come back to haunt you in many ways. There is a hint of Go Goa Gone (2013) and its ‘Khooni Monday’ vibes in the new Hindi film Vibe that kickstarts the narrative. The setting remains that of a familiar software company that is invariably an alternate home for both the protagonists. It is here also that the characterizations come to life. Bugs remains that one character who offers his once-upon-a-time-druggie friend Hardik, a new lease of life by getting him a job. The latter in turn thinks he is doing Bugs a favour and accepts the job, only to later stumble upon a new intern at the work place Kareena (Vanshika Dhar), and kick off a romance that would feel like a goofy-variant of La La Land (2016). But all is not what it seems to be…
There are several pop-culture references in play, something that wonderfully contributes to the humour in the first hour. The ‘vibe-check’ of the drama can be determined from how unserious the tone is, a deliberate attempt at generating laughs that lands like a dream. So even in a proposal sequence, there mushy feeling of love is often subverted with several bouts of humour – be it an instance wherein a remote-controlled car operated by Hardik, leading Kareena to a romantic getaway is abruptly stalled because the batteries run out. Or the La La Land-esque reference of Hardik prompting Kareena to climb through a ledge is paused because she is wearing a dress. Or even a fleeting mushy moment involving Hardik posing a question on whether Kareena trusts him, only for the reply to be a flat No. It is ticklish and extremely well thought out.
The pop-culture references are intertwined in a hilarious parody on national security too – the latter being a slippery slope in today’s climate. But ironically, this is also where the writing scores with the laughs – even when you are introduced to Madam H (Preity Zinta) and her clan – trying to stall a potential terror attack from an international terrorist who now has his eyes on the country. It a hilarious self-depracating moment, you notice on how Hardik and later Bugs get involved in this mess – only to extract laughs from the potshots at Tiger and Pathaan. It is like a cricketing tour Down-Under wherein the selectors inexplicably would select gully cricket to face the pace bowling battery of the Aussies.
There is a hint of brotherhood between the two protagonists that also results in several funny moments. Be it the idea of Bugs having Hardik’s balls…err back during a certain ‘shocking’ covert operation, or the banter that the duo share in their varied takes on nationalism – all of it which had me smiling and giggling through. In fact, even a training montage followed by The Matrix reference was enough to keep me giggling away to glory – even as themes of brotherhood were showcased as bouts of goofiness in the narrative. But, this is also the point where the writing drops into freefall!
It is often ironic on how the change of setting also is directly proportional to changing fortunes of films. Something like Khuda Hafiz 2 (2022) that was going so smoothly in the grimy lanes of Delhi, suddenly had the inclination of shifting its finale to the pyramids of Egypt. Or the recently releases film O’Romeo that abandoned the local streets of Mumbai into a gladiator-esque face-off in an arena in Spain. Here, I understand that there were underlying themes of an espionage thriller but the decision to shift its focus to Bangkok turned out to be suicidal.
The second half of the film will go down as one of the most slippery ones in recent times, particularly because of all the hard work done in setting up a premise – only to eventually look past it. It almost resembled a roadway that needed no further maintenance, only for the concept of space technology resulting in digging up the streets. Or a tailender swinging his bat to hit sixes before starting to assume that he is a proper batter. Or more like watching The Naked Gun, only for it to abandon its parody spirit and start taking itself seriously like a Tiger or a Pathaan. In other words, not only was this a tonal change in the narrative, it was also a partial genre change!
The writing gets so convoluted with some wild swings with respect to AI, a conspiracy, stock market, and some ridiculous twists – that it made me wonder on why Kunal the writer, wasn’t trusting his original source material that was a winner all the way. This also included a weird terror plot carried out by a sketchy antagonist who also wasn’t given enough screentime. And it may also have abandoned a pivotal subplot with regards to the mole in the department. The writing never felt like it wanted to fully commit to ‘seriousness’ either – eventually ending up in those in-between spaces that felt like a vibe-kill by the end of things. And I have never been more heartbroken this year with regards to a film that I was supremely enjoying in the first hour. Guess, the screenplay invariably forms a companion piece with my love story that just wasn’t to be!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The lines work the best when the characters aren’t taking themselves so seriously. So even the lamest lines like ‘Pav Bhaji Noodles Aur Yeh Sab Popsicles’ or ‘Bola Tha Gola Tha’, or ‘Sab Bangkok Lene Jaate Hain, Hum Dene Jaa Rahe Hain…..Jaan’ land in the context of the drama. The humour coming through is genuinely refreshing until the writing decides to have a brainfade, while chartering into a serious territory that flattens even the most spunky lines in the moment. The music and BGM are peppy and vibrant, instantly doing their bits in elevating some pivotal moments in the first hour – and also trying desperately to paper over the cracks in the second hour.
The cinematography weighs in on the goofy undertones of the drama by wonderfully presenting the frames as deliberate caricatures too – an extension of the characters and their wacky personalities. Even a couple of the action sequences in the second hour are well shot, and fairly work in isolation. The editing pattern is incredibly good in the first hour, but strays in the second hour – adding to the flabby runtime eventually. In fact, my complaint with the editing in the second hour was from a structural standpoint too – when the antagonist wasn’t well established, the editing pattern had no business to elongate a face-off including a mindless face-off on the runway.
Director Kunal Kemmu showcases flashes of his brilliance here, exhibiting a brand of humour that is unique to his own persona – something that we had previously witnessed in a film like Madgaon Express (2024) too. His biggest strength lies in subverting the genre with humour – be it that of brotherhood like in Madgaon Express or even an espionage thriller like Vibe. But he does falter when he tries to take his core subject too seriously, almost transforming an enjoyable goofy entertainer into his own showreel, making the eventual fall steep and irredeemable. The end result is a mixed bag of sorts – with the highs and lows exclusively reserved for each of the two halves.
Performances
The performances are largely impressive by the members of the cast. The likes of Benedict Garrett, Mark Bennington as Badshah, and Hiten Paintal as Abu Al Sayeed have their moments to shine. Salem Kali as Abid isn’t as intimidating as he ought to have been, and that has a lot to do with the insipid writing in the second hour. Yashpal Sharma as Rawal and Dinesh Lal Yadav as Bansi are understated with their forms of humour that define their characters, and both of them were a joy to witness here. Vanshika Dhar as Kareena has a radiating screen presence, and she does a fairly good job here in a character that isn’t what meets the eye. Preity Zinta as Madam H scores with her brand of comedy but faintly stumbles with her dialogue delivery in a few places – something that felt like an autotune of sorts. The latter did stick out in a few confrontational scenes towards the end that felt slightly more screechy for my liking.
Sparsh Shrivastava delivers a standout performance as Bugs – the grounded counterpoint to the madness of Hardik. Playing the understated loser to Kemmu’s wild antics, Sparsh showcases remarkable restraint, holding his own with sharp wit and a highly relatable screen presence. His ability to anchor the film’s more ridiculous moments with genuine sincerity ensures the duo’s dynamic stays rooted and thoroughly engaging from start to finish.
Kunal Kemmu as Hardik proves once again that effortless, goofy charm is his absolute forte, delivering a performance that serves as the comedic heartbeat of the film. His flawless comic timing and highly expressive facial nuances allow him to extract laughs from the simplest lines, easily elevating the humor beyond what was written on the page. By balancing his signature chaotic energy with a genuinely lovable screen presence, Kunal reminds audiences why he remains one of the most reliable and sharpest comedy actors in the industry today. But it is also unfortunate that Kunal the actor is let down by Kunal the writer, transforming his goofy energy into a masculine showreel that just wasn’t the vibe of the film. But, I can’t doubt his acting chops which were brilliant either way.
Conclusion
Despite impressive performances and a unique brand of humour at its disposal, Vibe is a rewarding yet deeply frustrating watch in equal measure. While the first half takes the film’s unserious, unhinged comedy to skyscraping heights, the narrative suffers a woeful free-fall during the second hour when it abruptly tries to take itself too seriously. This “curse of the second hour” completely deflates the brilliant groundwork laid early on, resulting in an unfortunate vibe-kill that ultimately left me heartbroken given the film’s immense, unfulfilled potential. Available in a theatre near you.