Kunal Kemmu wears several hats in Vibe, serving as the film’s writer, producer, director and actor. Following the success of his directorial debut, Madgaon Express, the film marks his first independent venture as a filmmaker, with Preity Zinta in the lead.
Taking on so many roles was not easy, but Khemu says the process became more organic as the film took shape. “My first thought was to complete the film, come what may,” he says. “I had my blinders on.” The physical and mental demands were considerable, particularly when he had to juggle acting with directing. “There were times when I had to take a shot and was doing make-up at the same time,” he says. “So I did a lot of prep work, and because of that, it became easy to shoot.”
Khemu had already dipped his toes into writing with Go Goa Gone, which he co-wrote with Sita Menon and others, but says the urge to write came much earlier. “Writing is in my blood,” he says. His paternal grandfather, Moti Lal Kemmu, was a Kashmiri playwright. “As a child, I was always attracted to the audio-visual format. I would put what I envisioned on paper.”
For Khemu, the move behind the camera has also changed how he looks at acting. “As an actor, I am very relaxed on the sets. I just go by the director’s vision,” he says. “My respect for directors has increased more now that I have taken their seat.” While acting remains his first love, directing gives him conviction in his abilities “I wasn’t sure I would be able to direct Madgaon Express, but I did it anyway,” he says.
Comedy, meanwhile, continues to be his preferred territory. Vibe is his third comedy behind the camera; it is a genre he has long been drawn to. “It’s the most palatable genre and a stress buster,” he says. His introduction to comedy came through films such as Namak Halal, Peter Sellers’ movies, The Three Stooges and Charlie Chaplin. Later, films by Seth Rogen and James Franco, including Superbad and Pineapple Express, opened up a different kind of comedy for him. “The kind of comedy was not happening here,” he says.
Casting can be a tricky business if you are married to an actor, but with Vibe, Khemu says, there was no pressure from his wife, Soha Ali Khan. “She understands that it’s not in your hands,” he says. At home, their partnership helps Khemu manage the demands of work and parenthood. “I don’t realise many things as I am always in the zone of a director, producer and actor. But at home, she holds the fort.” As for Preity Zinta, Khemu says he was drawn to her because he “always liked her vibe”. The film also sees her in an action avatar. “She has not done action in any other film,” he says. “There are many shades to this character, but the front foot is very different.”
Khemu has also confirmed that he will be part of Golmaal 5, while Madgaon Express 2 is in development. “I have finished writing Madgaon 2,” he says. “The rest is under process.”
He also hopes to eventually work on the scale of Rohit Shetty’s films. “He works with big stars and makes big films, and manages to hold that scale. It’s something I look up to. I wish to do that someday.”