Fakir Hassen|Published
Movie review: Vibe
Cast: Kunal Kemmu, Preity Zinta and Sparsh Shrivastava
Director: Kunal Kemmu
Rating: 7/10
THE absurdity of this comic thriller, which not only stars Kunal Kemmu in the lead but also has him getting credit as story writer and director, demands that you overlook the quirks in the plot in favour of the acting and the dialogues.
Vibe, as we find out right at the end, is Vigorous Intelligence Bureau of Execution, a new agency that Madam H (Preity Zinta in her second role in her comeback after retiring two decades ago as a screen sweetheart) is tasked to set up.
Hardik (Kemmu), a hopelessly misguided slacker who hates any job, and his best friend Bugs (Sparsh Shrivastava), a strait-laced software developer, become involved in a high-stakes intelligence mission in Thailand to save the world from an international gang aiming to disrupt it. But far from becoming skilled secret agents guided by Madam H, the duo’s hilarious incompetence, frantic lies, and total lack of preparation drive much of the film’s situational humour.
What starts out as a comedy-driven plot falters in the second half as it turns rather into a faux espionage action thriller.
Zinta is undoubtedly a highlight of the film, playing the eccentric, fierce intelligence boss, complete with the looks to match the gravity of her position. She embraces the movie's absurd tone, seamlessly balancing menacing authority with deadpan comedic delivery.
Kemmu’s sharp direction and snappy dialogue give the cast plenty of room to shine. Shrivastava functions as the perfect grounded foil to Kemmu’s manic performance.
The movie runs into trouble during its final act, where a push toward a serious, thriller-heavy style slows the comedy to a crawl. Nevertheless, Vibe succeeds as light-hearted entertainment, offering consistent laughs if you can excuse the absurdity of the plot.
Fakir Hassen is a veteran Bollywood critic who has written four books on the subject.
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