Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare review: Debutant Nithin Krishnamurthy’s movie asks the question ‘how much vibe is too much vibe’?

Ajith (played by Prajwal BP), a movie buff, excitedly pitches a hilarious short film idea to his roommates. However, they reject it due to an impending exam the next day.

But fate has a twist in store for them. On that very day, they stumble upon their warden’s tragic suicide, along with a note that mentions Ajith, his roommates (played by Bharath Vashisht, Aniruddha, Srivatsa Shyam, Tejas Jayanna) and a few others as the reason for his death. Panic ensues, and one of Ajith’s friends begins to see eerie similarities between the warden’s situation and Ajith’s story.

Ajith, though, insists that his tale has no connection to reality whatsoever, and now the group sets on a mission to handle the situation. As they attempt to deal with the warden’s body, their journey from the warden’s room to the terrace becomes a side splitting adventure. But how will the boys manage to escape this mess and get rid of the body?

Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare boasts of some really funny one-liners that will leave you in splits. For instance, there’s a scene where a roommate jokes, “Did the question papers leak?” when they were told to hurry to the warden’s room. It’s a simple line, but it’s delivered so perfectly that it’s hilarious. Manjunath Nayaka’s (the warden) performance was great, and talking too much about it might spoil the story, as he’s the real deal of the whole mess.

Ramya Krishnan’s early cameo appearance in the film had a clear purpose, but her later appearances seemed a bit confusing, despite the director’s attempt to convey a message through them. The introduction of senior characters, referred to as “genies”, adds to the fun, and the cameos by Rishab Shetty, Pawan Kumar, and Shine Shetty are a treat for the audience.

The movie keeps you engaged throughout, with something happening every now and then. Not in a way that you might miss a crucial detail if you get distracted, but in a way that you might miss the director’s intended “vibe”. However, after the interval, the film loses its way. The charm of a movie can be lost if it becomes too focused on maintaining a particular “vibe” at the expense of engaging storytelling.

Overall, Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare is a great weekend watch. It is currently streaming on ZEE5.