Vibe – Spy comedy with the right idea, but loses its way

What is Vibe about?

Kunal Kemmu returns to direction with Vibe, his second directorial venture after Madgaon Express. The film is a spy comedy built around an ordinary group of people who get pulled into a dangerous situation involving Indian intelligence and a terrorist threat. Along with directing, Kemmu also stars in the film, which features Preity Zinta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Vanshika Dhir, Yashpal Sharma and Dinesh Lal Yadav in key roles. The film runs for around 2 hours and 26 minutes.

Is Kunal Kemmu’s Vibe worth watching?

Yes, and no. Yes, because Bollywood desperately needs a proper comedy film when so many recent theatrical releases are leaning towards gore, violence and heavy drama. Vibe understands that comedy can simply be silly, weird and entertaining without constantly trying to prove how clever it is. If you liked Madgaon Express, there is a good chance you will enjoy a lot of what Vibe is doing.

There is a very familiar flavour here that reminded me of the kind of comedy we have seen in films like Go Goa Gone and Single Papa. Some gags are genuinely funny and land exactly the way they should. Others, unfortunately, feel like sixth-class jokes, especially the repeated gag where someone makes an obvious sexual joke and the person next to them pretends to be completely clueless and goes, “Huh?” It gets funny once. After that, it starts feeling like the film is explaining its own joke. The bigger problem is that the second half does not deliver on the promise of the first. The payoff left me unsatisfied because the film takes the story in a direction that weakens the comedy rather than building on what was already working.

What is good in Kunal Kemmu’s Vibe?

I genuinely think Rohit Shetty carried the crown for mainstream comedy franchises with Golmaal, but Kunal Kemmu is now building a different lane for himself. Madgaon Express felt like the beginning of that journey, and Vibe continues it by trying to create a comic world that does not depend entirely on the usual Bollywood comedy formula.

The first half is where the film really works for me. It is silly, fun and constantly gives you the feeling that something interesting is being built. You want to see where these characters are going and how far this ridiculous situation will escalate. Kunal Kemmu also carries the film. I am not completely convinced by every supporting performance, but he has the comic rhythm, timing and screen presence to keep the film moving. The music works well with the visuals, the editing is perfectly fine, and the overall presentation has a surprisingly premium and aesthetic feel.

That is why I have a lot of respect for what Kemmu is trying to do here. He should absolutely continue as a writer-director and build this comic universe further. There is a sense that he understands real people, street-level humour and everyday absurdity, and knows how to turn those things into entertaining films.

What is bad in Kunal Kemmu’s Vibe?

The second half unnecessarily goes downhill. Once the patriotism, villains and bigger mission take centre stage, Vibe starts taking itself far more seriously than the comedy setup demands. The gags become fewer, the characters lose some of their charm and the story starts moving from one plot point to another without creating much excitement. The shift in tone is quite noticeable because the first half had a much more silly and effortless energy, and that is what made the film enjoyable.

I honestly think Vibe could have been much stronger if it had stayed light throughout. You can still have serious moments, action and a proper story, but the comedy should have remained the main focus. Get Smart is a good example of how you can mix espionage, action and stupidity without losing the core identity of the film. Vibe takes a completely different turn in its second half, and that killed my interest. By the time the payoff arrives, I was left more disappointed than entertained, especially because the first half had shown how much potential this film actually had.

Are there any post-credit scenes?

No. But do not rush out the moment the film ends. Stay for the credits, support Kunal Kemmu and his team. More importantly, I hope Kemmu keeps making films like this because there is clearly something worth building here. My only advice would be not to try putting the film’s two different tones in two different boats. Vibe feels caught between being a comedy and becoming a serious action film, and that split is exactly where it loses its momentum. A similar expectation problem, in my view, happened with Toxic. When a film creates one kind of promise and then starts serving another, both audiences can end up feeling like they did not quite get the movie they came for.