Kunal Kemmu has managed to pull off a casting coup of sorts for his upcoming directorial Vibe, bringing veteran actor Sharmila Tagore — who is also his mother-in-law — on board for a cameo. The film marks Kunal’s second outing as a director following Madgaon Express and features Preity Zinta, Sparsh Shrivastava and debutante Vanshika Dhir in key roles.The trailer for the comedy caper was unveiled in Mumbai on Wednesday, where Kunal opened up about how Sharmila came to be part of the project.Asked whether having his mother-in-law in the film was always part of the plan, Kunal revealed that he initially approached her without knowing if she would agree.“I asked her if she would play this part, which was a cameo, and she said, ‘Can I get the synopsis of the film?’ So, I gave her the synopsis, and she said that was just a trick question, I was anyway going to do it. So, she was gracious enough (sic),” said the actor.For Kunal, the opportunity to direct Sharmila was more than simply adding a celebrated actor to his cast. He described it as a personal milestone and something he had never been certain would happen.“For me, it’s one of those checkboxes that I got to tick, something I never knew I would be able to. I am very happy, and I am very proud that I could call ‘action’ and ‘cut’ on a legend like her,” said Kunal.Soha Ali Khan praises Kunal’s sense of humourKunal’s wife, actor Soha Ali Khan, was also present at the trailer launch to show her support for her husband and Vibe. While discussing Kunal’s comic instincts, Soha said his ability to make people laugh extends across both sides of their family.“Shaadi ho ya funeral (whether it’s a wedding or a funeral), Kunal will make you laugh. He is the funniest from both sides of our family.”Preity Zinta says Kunal ‘did not give me too many funny scenes’Preity Zinta, who takes on a more serious role in Vibe, spoke about the unusual experience of working on a comedy where she had to maintain a straight face for much of the shoot.Although she praised her experience on the film, Preity jokingly revealed that she had one complaint against Kunal — she felt he should have given her more opportunities to be funny.“We don’t laugh much during the making of a comedy film, and I had to be very serious. He did not give me too many funny scenes, and I hold this against Kunal. It wasn’t a very easy shoot; we shot for 16-18 hours a day,” said Preity.The Veer-Zaara actor also praised Kunal and Sparsh Shrivastava for bringing a sense of sincerity to their performances, describing both actors as very “sincere”.Vibe to release on September 18Alongside Kunal Kemmu, Preity Zinta and Sparsh Shrivastava, Vibe introduces Vanshika Dhir and also features actors Yashpal Sharma and Bhojpuri star Dinesh Lal Yadav.The film is produced by Chirag Nihalani, son of late filmmaker and producer Pahlaj Nihalani. Vibe is scheduled to arrive in theatres on September 18.
