Vibe Review: Kunal Kemmu's Hindi Action-Comedy Shines

Hardik (Kunal Kemmu) and Bugs (Sparsh Shrivastava) are inseparable in the way only childhood friends can be - they finish each other's sentences, share a bank account of inside jokes, and have built small, unassuming lives that neither seems particularly eager to escape. Their routine is shattered when a chance entanglement with Madam H (Preity Zinta), a woman whose motives remain pleasantly opaque for much of the runtime, pulls them into a chase that neither signed up for.

What follows is a spiraling sequence of near-misses, mistaken identities, and escalating stakes that test both their survival instincts and the bond that has defined their lives. The screenplay, co-written by Kemmu, keeps the plot deliberately loose, prioritising set pieces and banter over airtight logic. A detour involving Dinesh Lal Yadav Nirahua as a small-time operator and Yashpal Sharma as a menacing, weary pursuer adds colour, while Sharmila Tagore's brief but warm presence lends the proceedings an unexpected gravity. Vanshika Dhir's Kareena threads through the chaos as a character whose loyalties keep shifting in ways that feel earned rather than convenient.

Kemmu the director has clearly studied the rhythms of the buddy-action genre, and he understands that the comedy has to come from character, not from contrivance. The early scenes establish Hardik and Bugs as men whose friendship is built on a thousand small compromises rather than grand gestures. When the action arrives, it lands harder because we actually care whether these two make it out.

As a performer, Kemmu is generous, ceding the film's most animated moments to Shrivastava, who plays Bugs with a jittery, wide-eyed charm that keeps the film's energy afloat during its slower middle act. Zinta, returning to the screen with a role that leans into her natural authority, is a welcome jolt - she plays Madam H with a slyness that suggests she knows more than she is letting on, and the film is better every time she is on screen. The supporting cast, including Aditya Kulshreshtha in a small but memorable turn, fills out the world nicely.

Where Vibe stumbles is in its pacing. The film's midsection sags under the weight of one too many chases, and the tonal shifts between slapstick and genuine danger are not always smooth. A film like this lives and dies by its escalation, and here the escalation occasionally feels like repetition rather than progression. The third act tries for emotional payoff, and it mostly earns it, though the resolution arrives with a tidiness that sits oddly against the messiness that came before.

Technically, the film is competent without being flashy. The action is staged with clarity, the humour lands more often than it misses, and the runtime is the film's biggest enemy. There is a leaner, sharper 120-minute version of Vibe somewhere in here. The one we got is still worth the ticket.

Pros

• The central friendship is genuinely affecting, anchored by natural chemistry between Kemmu and Shrivastava
• Preity Zinta's return is a highlight, bringing authority and wit to a role that could have been one-note
• The comedy is character-driven rather than forced, with several genuinely funny exchanges
• The action sequences are staged with clarity and energy

Cons

• At 145 minutes, the film is noticeably overlong and loses momentum in the middle
• Tonal shifts between comedy and danger are occasionally jarring
• The plot relies on coincidence more than it should
• The third act ties things up too neatly for the chaos that preceded it

Vibe is not a perfect film, but it is an honest one. It knows exactly what it wants to be - a warm, chaotic buddy adventure - and it delivers that with more sincerity than most films in this space bother with. Kemmu's growth as a filmmaker is evident, even when his script lets him down. If you can forgive the runtime and the occasional detour into repetition, there is a genuinely enjoyable ride here, powered by a friendship you will find yourself rooting for.