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Vibe

18 September 2026Hindi2h 25m

What critics are saying

Critical reception for Vibe is mixed-to-moderate, with most reviewers acknowledging it as a passable, light-hearted comedy without fully endorsing it.

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Kunal Khemu DirectorKunal Khemu WriterAmit Trivedi MusicKaushal Shah Cinematography
In cinemas now

Two inseparable friends' ordinary, unassuming lives spiral into an unpredictable, high-energy adventure that pushes their survival instincts and friendship to the limit.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Vibe is mixed-to-moderate, with most reviewers acknowledging it as a passable, light-hearted comedy without fully endorsing it. Critics most frequently praised Kunal Kemmu's comic performance and the energy of the first half, citing strong one-liners and an entertaining buddy dynamic. The most consistent criticism across reviews is a weakening second half, where an overloaded and tonally inconsistent screenplay — piling on action, espionage, and genre shifts — undermines the comedy that worked earlier. A handful of critics drew unfavorable comparisons to Kemmu's debut directorial Madgaon Express, suggesting Vibe represents a step back in terms of writing discipline.

16 rated reviews · 11 positive · 3 mixed · 2 negative

Praised: Kemmu's comic performance and first halfCriticised: Weak, overloaded second half

AI-generated summary of 20 critic reviews · may contain errors

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Critic Reviews (20)

Updated
Shubhra GuptaTop Critic· Indian Express
6.0
“It's been a while since Bollywood attempted a full-on goofy spy saga, leaning into it with the right degree of silliness, and made it work. 'Vibe' is a vibe, and I'm here for it. Kemmu makes up for his lax lapses in his debut, 'Madgaon Express' by keeping everything zippy.”
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Saibal ChatterjeeTop Critic· NDTV
5.0
“Vibe isn't deliriously funny, certainly not in the way that Madgaon Express was. But it has just enough steam to keep rolling without letting the missteps get in the way of the vibes that it wants to transmit. Vibe is Kemmu's film all the way, but it belongs more to the actor than the director.”
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Dhaval Roy· Times Of India
7.0
“Vibe is one of those films where the screenplay and sheer entertainment quotient elevate a fairly basic premise. If you're looking for a laugh riot driven by good performances and unabashed silliness, this one will match your vibe.”
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Devesh Sharma· Filmfare
7.0
“Vibe understands this basic comic premise and, for much of its running time, has a good time playing with it. The first half, in particular, is a hoot. Unfortunately, as the second half progresses, the film gets increasingly involved with action, espionage, twists and national security. The comedy consequently loses some of its freshness.”
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Trisha Gaur· KoiMoi
7.0
“Kunal Kemmu’s Spy Universe Is Brilliantly Outrageous, Making Him A Bahumulya Gadha – A Loveable Idiot Bollywood Needs Badly!”
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7.0
“Kunal Kemmu is making the kind of cinema we did not know we needed. The film doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's exactly where its charm lies. Call your friends, book your ticket, grab popcorn and go experience a full-blown laughter riot in theatres.”
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Bhavna Agarwal· India Today
6.0
“The film draws its appeal from their chaotic friendship even as an overloaded screenplay blunts the stakes.”
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Rishabh Suri· Hindustan Times
6.0
“The first half is a laugh riot with terrific dialogues and spot-on pace, but after the interval, the film suddenly changes gears and the laughs begin to dry up, with an unnecessarily convoluted plot involving gangster identities and a super strength serum that takes away from the cool vibe that worked so well initially.”
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Bollywood Hungama News Network· Bollywood Hungama
6.0
“On the whole, VIBE works due to Kunal Kemmu's strong command over humour, several hilarious one-liners and entertaining performances. Though the film loses steam in the second half and the villain track feels routine, it has enough madcap moments to keep viewers amused.”
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Suchin Mehrotra· TheQuint
6.0
“Vibe is an overlong, uneven 2.5-hour action-comedy that only comes to life in fits and starts. While it delivers great moments, the two genres don't quite coalesce and collide to their full potential, resulting in a film that feels out of place with generic action narrative overshadowing its comedy.”
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Simran Khan· TimesNowNews
6.0
“VIBE works best as a light-hearted and one-time watch. It has enough humour, camaraderie and unexpected moments to keep you entertained, even if it isn't without its flaws. The film deserves a watch for its fresh take on the spy genre, with Kunal Kemmu adding his trademark humour to make it entertaining and breezy.”
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Arathi Kannan· Deccan Herald
6.0
“Kunal Kemmu's Vibe delivers a frenzied buddy comedy with espionage twists, blending drollery and visual humour. The cast's stellar performances keep the plot afloat despite thin substance. A fun ride with occasional overindulgence.”
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BH Harsh· Cinema Express
5.0
“Vibe is a good showcase of why Kunal is possibly one of the best comic actor we have today, and deserves better scripts, including the ones he is writing. Yet the film comes sprawling apart in its second half, struggling to strike the right balance between spoof and sincerity.”
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Ria Sharma· The Free Press Journal
5.0
“Vibe is enjoyable in parts, especially during its first half, and Kunal Kemmu and Sparsh Shrivastava make the journey watchable. But the stretched second half and uneven writing take away from the overall experience.”
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Mayur Sanap· Rediff
4.0
“Despite occasional bursts of spunky comedy, the madness simply doesn't land as expected, and the overall vibe feels off with Vibe. By the climax, Vibe feels like several films fighting for screen space, eventually turning into a ridiculous mix of genres that delivers only patchy comedy.”
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Subhash K Jha· TribuneIndia
3.0
“It is a terrible film with tacky production values and zero ingenuity. 'Vibe' — directed, written, acted, etc, etc, by Kunal Kemmu — is as funny as a molar surgery, and as edifying as a plunge into a mound of manure.”
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Shreyas Pande· The Hindu
Not rated
“However, none of it proves enough for Vibe as Kunal Kemmu (the writer-director), relies far too much on the spontaneity of Kunal Kemmu (the actor), forgetting the propulsive riches of his debut, Madgaon Express, where the comedy progressed beat-by-beat into a hilarious outing. As it goes, he struggles to match his own vibe the second time around.”
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Onam Gupta· Mid-Day
Not rated
“Kunal Kemmu's Vibe takes a slightly different route with intriguing twists, agents on a mission, and a healthy dose of comedy that gives the film a distinct flavour of its own. Overall, Vibe is a fun, light-hearted watch that certainly leaves you with a positive 'vibe' in theatres.”
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Nandini Ramnath· Scroll.in
Not rated
“The overall vibe in Vibe is of indulgence. Since Kunal Kemmu is the one doing the indulging, the film works when it chooses to. The rest of the time, the 145-minute Vibe is a 100-minute movie in search of a befitting mission.”
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Not rated
“Vibe is definitely an easy-going Bollywood entertainer that combines friendship, action and comedy rather than taking the spy genre too seriously. Its biggest strength is the unusual pairing of ordinary men with a mission far beyond their abilities, while Kunal Kemmu's comic sensibility gives the film its distinct flavour.”
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Cast & Crew

Details

Release Date
18 September 2026
Runtime
2h 25m
Language
Hindi

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