Whenever Kunal Khemu steps into the world of comedy, the expectations of the audience automatically rise. Proving his excellent comic timing as an actor, Khemu brings a unique flavor of comedy and spy-thriller with his new film ‘Vibe’. The film succeeds in creating a carefree, quirky and light-hearted world in its opening moments, but as the story moves towards espionage missions and international conspiracies, its grip begins to loosen.
What is the story of ‘vibe’?
The plot of the film revolves around Hardik (Kunal Khemu), who leads a very carefree life and can make any serious situation funny. Along with him is his friend Bhagirath aka Bugs (Sparsh Srivastava), who is completely different from him in nature but is his companion who supports him every step of the way.
Romantic angle: With the entry of Kareena (Vanshika Dhir) in Hardik’s life, the story takes the form of a light-hearted rom-com.
Twist and Spy Mission: After an unexpected incident, Hardik and Bug come in contact with Madam H’s (Preity Zinta) secret intelligence agency. After this, the two get caught up in a national security mission they never imagined.
Vibe: The comedy in the first half is very good
The first half of ‘Vibe’ is the strongest part of the film. The tone of the film is light-hearted and the audience easily connects with the characters. Hardik’s actions, Bugs’s reactions and the chemistry between the two make the film funny at times. The film’s comedy isn’t always strong, but the effort is clear. Small references, use of old famous movies and star names and some one-liners lighten the atmosphere. At times the film seems to embrace the strangeness of its story, and it becomes its hallmark. Hardik’s character also looks interesting in the beginning. He is not a traditional hero, but someone who tries to run away from situations rather than fight them. So, when he steps into the world of espionage, his reactions create comedy.
When the fun of the movie becomes less
The film’s real problems start after the interval. As the story progresses, there are new twists, more dangers and more action. It all sounds interesting for a while, but soon the film begins to suffer due to overstuffing. It tries to combine terrorism, technology, AI and international conspiracies with espionage missions. In hindsight, this could have been a great way to make a comedic spy thriller, but too many things here feel superficial. The biggest problem is that the film can’t decide whether to rely on its comedy or be a pure action film.
In the second half the story becomes more serious and on a larger scale, even though the audience is already used to its fun and satirical premise. The Thailand part also affects the pace of the film. Even though the story moves to international locations and a bigger mission, the level of entertainment doesn’t stay the same. Many scenes take too long.
Direction and Writing: Kunal Khemu has his own vision in the film
As a director, Kunal Khemu has no dearth of ideas. His vision is clearly visible in the initial part of the film. He tries to extract comedy from characters and situations that have some awkwardness. From the beginning to the introduction of the characters, the film’s approach shows that Khemu is not trying to do a conventional comedy. His story is filled with pop culture references, satire, and deliberate weirdness.
However, the biggest shortcoming of his direction is his inability to control the film. Various ideas are shown simultaneously in the story and the mood of the film changes again and again. On the one hand it appears to be a light comedy, while on the other hand it starts to take the form of intense action and spy drama. As the climax approaches, this change becomes more apparent. In its attempt to magnify the action and make the hero more imposing, the film loses its initial spontaneity. Some scenes seem too grand and long. If the director had focused more on the humor of the story and kept the second half short, the impact of the film could have been better.
Vibe: Kunal Khemu’s impression as an actor
Kunal Khemu as an actor is the strongest part of the film. He brings the same comic timing to the character of Hardik that the audience has seen in his previous works. His facial expressions, the way he delivers dialogues and his reactions to situations often save the film. However, the problem is that some of his action and comic styles don’t seem fresh. The audience is constantly given glimpses of his previous characters. Nevertheless, Khemu plays an important role in taking the film to its conclusion.
Vibe: Sapush Srivastava makes his presence felt
Sapush Srivastava, who plays Bug, is the surprise of the film. Although his character seems simple at first, he makes it funny with his body language and light-hearted reactions. Sometimes there is no real comedy in a scene, but only the spush reactions bring a smile to the face. His performance seems less artificial than Kunal’s, and together they give the film the necessary comic balance.
Vibe: Preity Zinta and supporting cast
Preity Zinta’s character as Madam H is unique. She plays a tough and imposing detective boss and brings the film to life in moments. Her action scenes are some of the better parts of the film, but sometimes she seems to overdo it. However, some humor and hints of female empowerment written in her character do not leave a deep impression.
The Thailand part also doesn’t leave much of an impression. Vanshika Dhir handles the glamor and romantic aspects of the film. His screen presence is good, but the scope of his character is limited. Sometimes his accent doesn’t even sound natural. Yashpal Singh and Dinesh Lal Yadav (also known as Nirhua) are good in their respective roles. Sharmila Tagore’s brief appearance is a pleasant surprise, but her role is very small.
Vibe: What are the shortcomings of the film?
The Vibe’s biggest drawbacks are its length and stretched second half. The film looks good when it stays in comedy mode. As it starts to turn into a big spy-action drama, both the story’s pacing and humor falter.
The romantic track seems cumbersome at some places instead of taking the story forward. The songs don’t add much to the pace of the film. Some of the musical numbers seem to have been added to create atmosphere rather than contribute to the story. Action scenes are impressive, but they don’t always fit the story. The excessive spice of the film, especially in the latter half, overpowers its initial comedy.
The production design and location of the film are good and the cinematography is also good. However, despite the grand location and large-scale production, it doesn’t completely hide the story’s flaws. The editing of the second half also lacks tightness.
The vibe definitely has the makings of a good comedy spy movie. Kunal Khemu’s comic style, Sapush Srivastava’s hard-working acting and Preity Zinta’s few funny moments save it from being a complete disappointment. In the beginning, the film keeps the audience hooked with its light-hearted humor, but the second half becomes its biggest problem.
The story tries to do too much and in the process loses what could have made it special: its irony and gratuitous humor. If you are a fan of Kunal Khemu’s comedies and light-hearted time-pass films, Vibe can give you some good moments. However, if you’re expecting a consistently strong comedy and a taut spy thriller, this film won’t leave much of an impression. Overall, ‘Vibe’ tries hard to make people laugh and succeeds in some moments, but the fun doesn’t last long. Despite a good idea and cast, the scattered story and overly long second half keep it from being better than average.