The trailer of Kunal Kemmu’s upcoming directorial ‘VIBE’ has left audiences intrigued, with viewers praising its humour, pace and comic moments. However, it is the subtle references to some of Kemmu’s earlier films, including ‘Madgaon Express’ and the cult favourite ‘Go Goa Gone’, that have sparked a different conversation online. In a recent interaction, Kunal addressed speculation that he could be quietly building a connected cinematic universe through his films.
Are Kunal Kemmu’s films secretly connected?
In the ‘VIBE’ trailer, Kunal plays a directionless young man who shares a home with his more driven friend, played by Sparsh Shrivastava. At one point, Sparsh’s character refers to Kunal’s character as Hardik and mentions a past drug overdose during which he allegedly confused Goa with Pondicherry and Mumbai with Bangalore. The reference immediately caught the attention of fans familiar with Kunal’s previous work. In ‘Go Goa Gone’, Kunal played Hardik, a stoner caught up in a zombie outbreak. He also appeared in a separate cameo as an unnamed character who, while high on drugs, made the same city mix-up referenced in ‘Vibe’. The similarities have led viewers to wonder whether the references are simply Easter eggs or part of a larger plan.Speaking to Hindustan Times, Kunal was asked if he was intentionally creating connections between his films. The actor-director responded, “In my head, a lot of plans are happening. But plans that get executed are the ones you take credit for. That is, if it eventually happens. I don’t want to jinx anything, but I have certain ideas in my head. If I see a direction for them, I can always mould them.”
Kunal Kemmu says acting and directing are equally difficult
Kunal has built a strong reputation in comedy as an actor and has now expanded his role behind the camera. However, he says he cannot choose between acting and directing when it comes to which one is more challenging.“They are both equally difficult,” he said, adding, “A lot of it is a leap of faith. What you think is funny may not be funny. You have to be instinctive, and you have to have confidence in that instinct.”
Why Kunal calls comedy a ‘serious business’
The actor-director also spoke about the technical challenges involved in filming comedy. According to him, a lack of laughter on set does not necessarily mean that a scene will fail with the audience.“It is technical. On set, if you expect that when I do this scene, everybody will laugh, it may not happen. And if they don’t laugh, you can’t think it didn’t land. That is not always guaranteed. We had a very serious set when we shot some of what I hope will be our funniest scenes. Nobody is laughing. Somebody from outside may wonder if it is a funny film,” Kunal explained.He recalled a similar experience while making ‘Madgaon Express’, pointing out that even some of the film’s most outrageous moments did not necessarily generate laughter during filming.“It was the same with Madgaon Express. Barring that scene where Pratik snorts all that coke since it was so over-the-top, there were no laughs on set,” he said.
‘VIBE’ release date
‘VIBE’ marks Kunal Kemmu’s second directorial after ‘Madgaon Express’. The film stars Kunal alongside Preity Zinta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Dinesh Lal Yadav aka Nirahua, Yashpal Sharma and Vanshika Dhir. ‘VIBE’ is scheduled to hit theatres on September 18, 2026.
