Second half kills the vibe

Title: Vibe

Director: Kunal Kemmu

Cast: Kunal Kemmu, Sparsh Shrivastava, Preity Zinta, Vanshika Dhir, Dinesh Lal Yadav, Yashpal Sharma and others

Where: In theatres near you

Rating: HH

Ria Sharma :

After Madgaon Express, Kunal Kemmu has returned with his second directorial, Vibe. The film tries to mix comedy, action, friendship, patriotism and a bit of thriller into one package. And while it does have all the ingredients of a commercial entertainer, the problem is that they don’t always come together smoothly. Kunal plays Hardik, who returns from rehab and joins a software company with the help of his close friend Bugs aka Baghirath (Sparsh Shrivastava). Things take an unexpected turn when a terrorist threat puts them in a difficult situation.

Soon, the two find themselves working alongside Madam H (Preity Zinta) and getting involved in a mission to protect the country. The first half is where Vibe works best. There are some genuinely funny moments, the friendship between Hardik and Bugs keeps things entertaining, and the story moves at a decent pace. It keeps you interested and builds enough curiosity to make you want to know what happens after the interval. Unfortunately, that momentum doesn’t continue.

Actors’ performances

Kunal once again proves that he is a very dependable actor. He gets to do almost everything here - comedy, action, dance and emotional scenes - and manages to handle the different shades of his character well. What works particularly well is that Kunal doesn’t try to overshadow Sparsh. Bugs gets enough space to make an impression. Sparsh is very good in the role. Debutante Vanshika Dhir, who plays Kareena, is also impressive and shows promise. Preity Zinta, however, seems to be trying a little too hard in some scenes, which makes her performance feel less natural.

Direction

As a director, Kunal shows that he understands the commercial space. Vibe has action, comedy, emotions, friendship, patriotism and a few twists - basically everything you expect from a mainstream entertainer. The issue is the writing. The film could have been much crisper, especially in the second half. Once the interval is over, the comedy almost disappears and the narrative starts feeling stretched. 

FPJ verdict

Vibe is enjoyable in parts, especially during its first half. Kunal and Sparsh make the journey watchable. But the stretched second half and uneven writing take away from the overall experience. If you skip Vibe, you aren’t really missing out on something extraordinary.