Vibe Movie Review: Kunal Kemmu returns to the director’s chair after Madgaon Express, but this time he has mixed comedy, action, friendship and espionage into one rather unusual package.
Starring Kunal Kemmu, Preity Zinta and Sparsh Shrivastava, Vibe follows two ordinary friends who suddenly find themselves caught up in a dangerous terrorist conspiracy. The two men are hardly prepared to become heroes, which becomes the central source of the film’s comedy.
The movie has released in theatres on September 18, 2026.
And if you’re expecting a serious spy thriller, Vibe is definitely not that film.
Vibe Movie Story
The story revolves around two friends, Hardik and Bugs, who are living fairly ordinary lives when circumstances suddenly push them into an extraordinary situation.
They become involved in a mission connected to a terrorist threat and are expected to help save the country.
The interesting part is that neither of them exactly looks like an action hero.
Preity Zinta plays Madam H, a powerful intelligence figure who brings the unlikely duo into the mission. The film therefore gets much of its humour from the contrast between the seriousness of the situation and the completely unprepared men caught in the middle of it.
The official synopsis similarly describes the two friends as people who can barely manage their own lives before accidentally becoming responsible for stopping a terrorist plot.
Vibe Review: Comedy Is the Main Attraction
The biggest thing that works in Vibe is its comic tone.
Kunal Kemmu doesn’t try to make the film another conventional Bollywood spy thriller.
Instead, the movie appears to be deliberately playing with the genre.
There are action sequences, national-security stakes and dangerous missions, but the characters themselves often don’t behave like the polished heroes we normally see in spy films.
That gives Vibe its identity.
Early reactions to the film have particularly highlighted its humour and self-aware approach. One viewer review praised the film’s absurdity, comedy and meta references while also pointing out that the screenplay can feel messy.
That seems to be the best way to describe the film’s overall personality:
messy, energetic and deliberately crazy.
Kunal Kemmu in Vibe
Kunal Kemmu has taken on several responsibilities here.
He is the lead actor, writer, director and producer.
That’s a lot to handle in one project.
His previous directorial film, Madgaon Express, established that Kemmu has a strong understanding of situational comedy.
With Vibe, he moves into a much larger action-comedy world.
The challenge is obvious: the film needs to work simultaneously as an action movie and a comedy.
At its best, that combination gives Vibe its unique flavour.
At other points, the screenplay can feel like it is trying to do too many things at once.
Sparsh Shrivastava Is a Pleasant Surprise
Sparsh Shrivastava, who became widely recognised after Laapataa Ladies, gets an important role in the film.
His character Bugs provides a different energy from Kemmu’s Hardik.
The contrast between the two friends is important because their relationship becomes one of the film’s main comic engines.
Early audience feedback has specifically praised Shrivastava’s performance and the warmth he brings to the character.
He fits naturally into the film’s unusual comic world.
Preity Zinta in Vibe
Preity Zinta is one of the biggest attractions of Vibe.
She plays Madam H, an intelligence officer who recruits the two unlikely heroes.
It is a different kind of role for Zinta, with the character combining authority, action and humour.
Kunal Kemmu has previously spoken about wanting Zinta specifically for the role, saying that the character immediately made him think of her.
Her presence also gives the film an interesting nostalgic element for Bollywood audiences who remember her from her earlier career.
Vibe Action Sequences
The film isn’t purely a comedy.
There is plenty of action.
The trailer established a combination of chases, dangerous missions and chaotic situations, while the CBFC ultimately passed the movie without requiring any visual cuts to its action scenes.
The action isn’t necessarily designed to make Vibe feel like a hyper-serious spy franchise.
Instead, it becomes part of the comedy.
The film repeatedly puts ordinary people into situations that normally belong to larger-than-life action heroes.
That’s where much of its entertainment comes from.
Vibe and the Bollywood Spy Movie Formula
One of the fun things about Vibe is that it knows what kind of movies it is playing with.
The film exists in a world where the audience is already familiar with Bollywood’s spy-action formula.
The teaser and trailer have references and jokes that play with that familiarity, including nods to the larger Bollywood action universe.
Instead of trying to outdo Pathaan or Tiger on sheer scale, Vibe takes a more self-aware route.
It essentially asks:
What happens if completely normal people are suddenly thrown into that kind of movie?
That is where the concept becomes interesting.
Is Vibe a Serious Spy Thriller?
No.
If you’re going into Vibe expecting a realistic espionage thriller, you may be disappointed.
This is primarily an action comedy.
The terrorist conspiracy provides the framework, but the friendship between the characters and the absurd situations they encounter are much more important to the film’s tone.
It is closer to a comedy that happens to have spies, terrorists and action sequences than a serious spy movie with occasional jokes.
Vibe Movie Runtime and Certification
Vibe has been certified A by the Central Board of Film Certification.
The CBFC database lists the film as a Hindi-language production with a certified length of approximately 145.55 minutes, or around 2 hours and 26 minutes.
The certification did not involve visual cuts. Reports said the CBFC asked for one profanity to be muted and an anti-drug disclaimer to be added.
So despite its comic presentation, this isn’t a family movie for children.
Vibe Movie Cast
The main cast includes:
- Kunal Kemmu
- Preity Zinta
- Sparsh Shrivastava
- Vanshika Dhir
- Yashpal Sharma
- Dinesh Lal Yadav, popularly known as Nirahua
The film also features a cameo by Sharmila Tagore, something Kunal Kemmu has discussed in interviews.
Vibe Movie Direction
This is perhaps the most interesting part of the film.
Kunal Kemmu is still relatively early in his journey as a director.
After Madgaon Express, he has now attempted something considerably different.
Vibe has a much bigger action-comedy canvas, and the film’s tone is deliberately unconventional.
The direction works particularly well when it allows the characters to behave like ordinary people rather than conventional Bollywood heroes.
The downside is that the film’s ambition can sometimes make the screenplay feel crowded.
There are several ideas competing for attention, including action, comedy, technology, friendship and espionage.
One early viewer review similarly praised Kemmu’s vision while noting that the screenplay doesn’t always bring all its ideas together cleanly.
Vibe Movie Review: Final Verdict
Vibe isn’t trying to reinvent the spy genre.
Instead, it takes the familiar Bollywood action-spy formula and puts two completely unsuitable people in the middle of it.
That simple idea gives the film its best moments.
Kunal Kemmu’s comic timing, Sparsh Shrivastava’s performance and the unusual combination of action and comedy are the main reasons to watch it.
The screenplay isn’t equally strong throughout, and viewers looking for a tightly written spy thriller may find the film too chaotic.
But if you’re looking for a fun Bollywood action comedy with friendship, absurd situations and plenty of madness, Vibe offers something different from the usual serious action movies.
Vibe Movie Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½/5
Our take: 3.5/5
Genre: Action Comedy / Spy Comedy
Language: Hindi
Release Date: September 18, 2026
Runtime: Approximately 2 hours 25 minutes
Certificate: A
Director: Kunal Kemmu
Writer: Kunal Kemmu
Cast: Kunal Kemmu, Preity Zinta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Vanshika Dhir, Yashpal Sharma, Dinesh Lal Yadav
Should You Watch Vibe?
If you enjoy Kunal Kemmu’s style of comedy and liked the humour of Madgaon Express, Vibe is worth considering for a theatrical watch.
Don’t go expecting Pathaan or a realistic intelligence thriller.
Go for the chaotic friendship, comedy and action.
That’s where Vibe gets its name from.
FAQs
Is Vibe a comedy movie?
Yes. Vibe is primarily an action comedy with elements of espionage, friendship and thriller.
Who is the heroine of Vibe?
Preity Zinta plays Madam H, an intelligence officer who recruits the two central characters.
Who directed Vibe?
Kunal Kemmu directed and wrote Vibe. He also plays the lead and is one of the producers.
Is Vibe suitable for children?
No. The film has received an A certificate from the CBFC, so it is intended for adult audiences.
Is Vibe related to Madgaon Express?
There are similarities in Kunal Kemmu’s comic sensibility, and fans have noticed references that have led to speculation about a possible shared universe. Kemmu has acknowledged having ideas about connecting films but has not confirmed an established shared universe.
