Vibe (film)
2026 Indian film by Kunal Khemu
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Vibe is a 2026 Indian Hindi-language action thriller comedy film written, produced and directed by Kunal Khemu, who also stars in the film alongside Preity Zinta, Sparsh Shrivastava and Vanshika Dhir in her debut role. It is Khemu's second film as a writer and director after 2024's Madgaon Express and an over three decades long career as an actor, as well as his producing debut.[3]
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Chirag Nihalani
- Kunal Khemu
- Preity Zinta
- Sparsh Shrivastava
- Yashpal Sharma
| Vibe | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Kunal Khemu |
| Written by | Kunal Khemu |
| Produced by | Kunal Khemu Chirag Nihalani |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Kaushal Shah |
| Edited by | Anand Subaya Sanjay Shrirang Ingle |
| Music by | Amit Trivedi |
Production companies | Amazon MGM Studios Drongo Films |
| Distributed by | PVR Inox Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 145 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Box office | ₹.97 crore[2] |
The film was released theatrically in India on 18 September 2026.
Plot
The film is an action comedy set around two best friends, Hardik and Bugs, one a clueless slacker, the other a very by-the-book individual, who are unwittingly roped in by the mysterious Madam H on a mission to protect India from a major terrorist threat, despite being completely unqualified for the job.
Cast
- Kunal Khemu as Hardik
- Sparsh Shrivastava as Bugs
- Preity Zinta as Madam H
- Vanshika Dhir as Kareena
- Yashpal Sharma as Rawal
- Dinesh Lal Yadav as Bansi
- Rajesh A Krishnan
- Sharmila Tagore
- Aaditya Kulshrestha
Production
Casting
The film has been cited as being part of Preity Zinta's acting comeback, the second of two films starring her in 2026 after Batwara 1947, released a month prior.[4] Once one of Indian cinema's most bankable lead actresses, she had not acted professionally since an episode of the American TV series Fresh Off the Boat in 2020 and last appeared in an Indian film in 2018's Bhaiaji Superhit.[5] Khemu cast her from being a huge fan of hers, with his initial idea being that she would play a fictionalized version of herself in the film, a spy who is a famous actress as a cover. While this idea was scrapped, he remained keen to cast her, especially after realizing she had never done action scenes before. Zinta eventually agreed, having herself long wanted to portray an action film character.[6] In 2020, she had shared numerous videos of herself training with action film consultant Aaron Cohen in various types of types of situations on Instagram to showcase her willingness and availability for such a role.[7]
The film also marks the debut of actress Vanshika Dhir,[8] while Khemu's mother-in-law, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, plays a cameo role.[9][10][11]
Filming
Actress Preity Zinta described the shoot as tough and physically challenging due to the action scenes and long working days which often lasted up to eighteen hours, which she didn't mind as she was eager to complete her work quickly and be able to return to her family in the United States.[12] She also revealed on social media that she had injured her shoulder severely during filming.[13]
Marketing
The film was first announced on 19 March 2026, after filming was complete.[14][15] Amazon MGM Studios released a 1m20s teaser on YouTube on 20 August 2026,[16][17] a day after unveiling its poster.[18]
A launch event for the main 2m44s trailer was organised on 2 September 2026 in Mumbai with presence of the film's casting and production team, as well as Khemu's wife, actress Soha Ali Khan.[19]
Soundtrack
| Vibe | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Amit Trivedi, Kanishka Pal, Kunal Kemmu, Bharath, Raghav Meattle and Ashutosh Anand | |
| Released | 11 September 2026 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Length | 17:04 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Label | Tips Music |
| Official audio | |
| Vibe – Full Album on YouTube | |
The music of the film is composed by Amit Trivedi.[20] The first song “Raaton Mein Aana” was released on 27 August 2026 and it was written by Kumaar and sung by Amit Trivedi.[21] The second single, "Aisi Meri Vibe", a rap song written and performed by Shubham Sopan Khillari, Irfana Hameed and Kanishka Pal (aka Kanfuzion), was released a week and a half later on 7 September.[22] The film's music rights are held by Tips Industries.[23]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Raaton Mein Aana" | Kumaar | Amit Trivedi | Amit Trivedi | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Aisi Meri Vibe" | Shubham Sopan Khillari, Irfana Hameed | Kanishka Pal | Shubham Sopan Khillari, Irfana Hameed, Kanfuzion | 2:51 |
| 3. | "Rafta Rafta" | Kumaar, Akshay Dhawan | Amit Trivedi | Aditya Jain, Akshay Dhawan | 2:49 |
| 4. | "Baadshah" | Kunal Kemmu | Kunal Kemmu, Bharath, Raghav Meattle, Ashutosh Anand | Kunal Kemmu, Nidhi Wagle | 2:32 |
| 5. | "Underdog" | Kumaar | Amit Trivedi | Shahid Mallya | 3:04 |
| 6. | "Sipahi Ek" | Kumaar | Amit Trivedi | Ashim Kemson | 2:36 |
| Total length: | 17:04 | ||||
Release
Vibe was theatrically released on 18 September 2026.
Certification
The film received an A certificate from the CBFC along with a finalised runtime of 145 minutes.[24][25] Except muting two words, the film got no visual cut by the censor board.[26]
Distribution
PVR Inox Pictures will be releasing in India and Reliance Entertainment for the Overseas distribution.[27][28]
Reception
Box office
Critical response
Shachi Chaturvedi of News18 gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Kunal Kemmu is making the kind of cinema we did not know we needed. Spy thrillers are the hottest-selling genre right now, but with everyday work pressure and 10,000 different tensions in mind, sometimes you don't want people fighting, bomb attacks, gore and over-the-top action. After watching VIBE, one can easily say that not Pathaan or Tiger, but 'bahumuliya gadhas' (important donkeys) are what Bollywood desperately needs right now. The film doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's exactly where its charm lies."[29]
Dhaval Roy of The Times of India also gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5, concluding, "If you're looking for a laugh riot driven by good performances and unabashed silliness, this one will match your vibe. The comedy begins even before the opening credits roll, as two voices discuss the special thanks and the seemingly endless list of partners, and keeps popping up right until the end."[30]
Bhavna Agarwal of India Today gave the film 3 stars out of 5, noting, "The film's biggest weakness, however, is its screenplay. Vibe has enough comic ideas for several sequences, but not all of them deserve to be in the same film. The writing repeatedly piles one gag, twist or complication over another, creating the sense of a story that is constantly trying to outdo itself. Instead of allowing a funny situation to breathe, it often escalates it into something louder. That also affects the emotional stakes."[31]
Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times also gave the film 3 stars out 5 and summed up in his review, "VIBE gets off to a hilarious start, with Kunal Kemmu and Sparsh Shrivastava making a fun comic duo.The sharp dialogues, brisk pace and absurd situations make the first half genuinely entertaining. However, the second half becomes unnecessarily complicated, losing much of the easy-going charm."[32]
A critic at Bollywood Hungama gave the film 3 stars out of 5 as well and concluded, "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. At the box office, its urban appeal and youth-friendly humour should help it find its target audience."[33]
Mayur Sanap of Rediff.com gave the film 2 stars out of 5. He praised Kunal Khemu's acting performance and writing. However, he criticised Khemu's direction, writing, "Sadly, it is Kunal Kemmu the director who struggles to maintain control over all those ideas. The problem begins when the film tries to become something bigger that it really is."[34]
BH Harsh of Cinema Express noted, "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."[35]
Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in observed, "There's only so much that a series of sharply written gags strung together on a sliver of a thread of a plot can be held in place. Kemmu delivers every now and then, with much of the laughs supplied by Hardik's yappy cluelessness and Bugs's valiant effort to be the bestest friend in the history of friendship."[36]
