STARRING: Vicky Kaushal, Ammy Virk, Tripti Dimri
DIRECTED BY: Anand Tiwari
RATING: 2 stars
Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how Bad Newz, the latest release from Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, got the green light. Writer: Let's create a pure comedy. After a brutal film like Kill, we should surprise the audience with a family-friendly movie. Dharma Productions: Yes, excellent idea! Do we have any South Indian films we can acquire the rights to? Writer: No, they're too busy making realistic award-winners or fantasy blockbusters. How about something original for a change? DP: Another great idea! What should we create? Writer: How about a spiritual sequel to our 2019 film Good Newz? A typical Bollywood film with dance-songs, a handsome hero and heroine, a catchy item song, and a remake song—set in a Punjabi household. DP: Love it, but isn't Punjabi overdone? Let's add a touch of Gujarati flavor, it's trendy. Just a few Gujarati words or the heroine in a Navratri outfit will do. Writer: Done. But let's not abandon Punjabi, only then can we include all stereotypes to make it funny. We'll sign a Punjabi superstar—guaranteed opening in North India. Didn't Diljeet do wonders for us in Good Newz? We can approach Ammy Virk this time. DP: Brilliant. But we need a story. Any ideas? Writer: Not really, but we came across the term heteropaternal superfecundation... DP: Fantastic, love the term. Go ahead and develop something around it.
The result? Bad Newz, now showing at a theater near you. Of course, the above is purely fictional, but it gives you an idea. Over the past few weeks, your Instagram has likely been flooded with Vicky Kaushal's hook step for the catchy song Tauba Tauba, mimicked by countless influencers and video creators. How I wish the makers had invested at least half the energy in crafting a decent script! Bad Newz, much like its misspelled title, is a misstep. Having a great concept isn't enough; you need the intelligence to execute it well to make it enjoyable.
The plot is exactly as shown in the trailer. Saloni (Tripti Dimri) is a beautiful Punjabi girl who dreams of becoming a Meraki chef. A loud, brash Punjabi boy Akhil (is there any other type in our movies?), played by Vicky Kaushal, enters her life, leading to a whirlwind romance, marriage, and eventual divorce due to circumstances and an overbearing mother (Sheeba Chadha). Enter man no. 2, Gurbir (Ammy Virk), who, in a completely random sequence, becomes intimate with Saloni. Next, man no. 1 Akhil reappears, engaging in another random and silly sequence with Saloni. The confused Saloni becomes pregnant with twins through heteropaternal superfecundation—a rare pregnancy where two eggs are fertilized by the sperm of two different men. Both Gurbir and Akhil claim fatherhood and engage in a game of one-upmanship to prove who is the better father and partner.
The best part? No judgments are passed on Saloni, which is refreshing. The bad part? Everything else. Outrageous plots can be funny if handled well. The key is to involve you in the madness and create moments that make you care for the characters. The idea of an independent-minded girl having two lovers in one night can still shock our conservative audiences, but the makers cleverly take a comedic approach, turning it into a pregnancy-comedy, much like Good Newz. The premise could have been a wild ride, but the hurried build-up, loud tone, and flat dialogues make it all fail to register. There are numerous references to current and old Hindi films, including a reworked song from the SRK-starrer Duplicate, and while some are organic, others feel forced. Nothing is worse in a comedy than a joke that doesn't land, and here, for the most part, the humor falls flat. The same goes for the background score—a garba strain in a dialogue about Gujaratis and a chicken clucking sound when Ammy speaks about a Gujarati girlfriend who left him because he wanted her to eat chicken.
One then looks to the stars to save the day. Tripti Dimri, after her outstanding performances in Bulbbul and Qala and a headline-grabbing role in Animal, is charming but deserves better than to be merely objectified. Ammy Virk is sincere but limited by few standout moments or dialogues. Finally, there's Vicky Kaushal, a versatile actor who has proven himself in various genres. Though his goofy-Punjabi act can be grating at times, he elevates the proceedings with his easygoing, boy-next-door charm. For much of the film, you keep waiting for that one laugh-out-loud sequence, one crazy moment, or that one punchline that actually makes you chuckle. Until then, you can only say Tauba Tauba when you hear such Bad Newz.
