Kunal Kemmu's Vibe Earns 1.50 Crore Rupees on Opening Day

Kunal Kemmu’s sophomore directorial feature Vibe opened in theaters on September 18, 2026, pulling in 1.50 crore rupees on its first day at the domestic box office. The comedy-action release matches the opening-day earnings of the filmmaker’s 2024 debut, Madgaon Express, while generating sharp debate among audiences and reviewers over its abrupt tonal shifts.

Box Office Opening and Trade Standing Against New Releases

The comedy-action film arrived in cinemas on Friday across 3,194 shows, securing an overall domestic occupancy of 13.38%, according to data from Sacnilk reported by NDTV. Viewer turnout climbed gradually through the day, starting with a morning occupancy of roughly 6% before advancing to 11.31% in the afternoon and reaching approximately 14% by evening.

Regional figures show that Delhi-NCR led major metropolitan areas with roughly 13% occupancy across 440 shows. Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai followed closely, each recording about 11% occupancy, with Mumbai screening the feature across 328 locations.

In the opening-day box office landscape, the 1.50 crore rupees nett collection places the film slightly ahead of several simultaneous openers. Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi’s Ek Din alongside Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga both collected 1.15 crore rupees on their first day. Meanwhile, the crime thriller Daayra—directed by Kunal Kemmu’s sister-in-law Kareena Kapoor and starring Prithviraj Sukumaran—landed at an estimated 90 lakh rupees nett on its opening day.

Plot Premise and the Shift from Buddy Comedy to Espionage Thriller

The narrative follows Hardik, portrayed by Kunal Kemmu, a serial tripper and stoner described in reviews as a lazy, impulsive man whose life is a string of poor decisions. After emerging sober from a drug overdose and rehab stint, he reluctantly takes a job at a software company run by his college junior and best friend, Bhagirath, also known as Bugs, played by Sparsh Shrivastava. Hardik’s fortunes shift again when he falls for an office intern named Kareena, played by Vanshika Dhar (also cited in other coverage as Vanshika Dhir).

What begins as a frothy workplace romance upshifts into a high-stakes national security crisis. A revelation concerning Kareena pulls both friends into an international conspiracy where a terrorist attack is planned at an undisclosed location. Thrust into a world they are entirely unsuited to navigate, Hardik and Bugs find themselves working under Madam H, an intelligence agency head played by Preity Zinta.

Reviewers point to this pivot as the feature’s primary structural hurdle. While the first half functions as a lightweight buddy comedy where the protagonists stumble through familiar scenarios, the second half relocates the action to Thailand, introducing artificial intelligence, geopolitical conspiracies, and cyber attacks. Critics note that the storytelling loses its disciplined comic pacing once it begins taking its espionage elements seriously.

Audience Reactions on Social Media Versus Critical Notices

Audience responses shared across social platforms present a warmer reception than select professional reviews. Early viewers on X praised the humour, the ensemble cast, and Kemmu’s dual work as writer-director and actor, with some enthusiasts labeling the project the best comedy film of this year till date according to social media commentary compiled by The Times of India.

Kunal Kemmu's Vibe Earns 1.50 Crore Rupees on Opening Day — Photo: Telegraph India

One viewer noted that despite watching the screening in a nearly empty theater with only seven other people, the audience response inside the auditorium remained enthusiastic, with continuous laughter throughout. Other spectators highlighted the film’s clean, balanced comedic focus while singling out Sparsh Shrivastava’s performance for high praise.

Conversely, critical notices from major publications offered tempered evaluations. Reviewers critiqued the script’s handling of tone, noting that Hardik’s character oscillates awkwardly between a boundary-pushing office flirt and an innocent romantic lead. Critics also argued that veteran supporting actors like Yashpal Sharma and Dinesh Lal Yadav were underutilized, and that Preity Zinta’s intelligence chief remained restricted within familiar bossy tropes without distinct flair.

Thematic DNA and Connection to Past Directorials

Industry observers have naturally drawn comparisons between this release and Kunal Kemmu’s 2024 directorial debut, Madgaon Express, which also launched with a 1.50 crore rupees opening day before steadily expanding its footprint following its subsequent streaming release. However, audience members posting online have clarified that the two stories share no narrative continuity.

Vibe Box Office Collection Day 1 | Vibe First Day Collection | Kunal Kemmu | Preity Zinta

The project leans heavily on Kemmu’s established screen persona—the lovable rogue or animated buffoon reminiscent of his prior work in Go Goa Gone and Lootcase. Dialogue features a recurring gag labeling Hardik a bahumulya gadha, or a priceless donkey, establishing his chaotic charm. Intertextual winks pepper the runtime, including verbal nods to Bollywood staples like Soldier, Taare Zameen Par, Don, and Kick, alongside an opening voiceover where Kemmu’s voice roasts theater habits before the first frame.

Theatrical Experience Versus Streaming Debate

A prominent strand of public discussion centers on whether the feature functions better as a communal big-screen outing or a home-viewing title. While critics argue that the overlong runtime and lurching second half dilute its impact, enthusiastic theatergoers have urged audiences to support the release on the big screen, pointing to the energetic group response inside auditoriums as a rare commodity for contemporary comedies.

Whether steady word-of-mouth and holiday legs can elevate the box office trajectory past its modest 1.50 crore rupees launch remains to be seen, mirroring the slow-burn commercial life that eventually embraced its predecessor.