Bad Newz: The Good, the Flaws and the Wild

Let me be honest with you first. I didn’t have much expectations from this one. Do you want to know the reason? Well, the spiritual prequel of Bad Newz, the 2019 film Good Newwz was just an average affair for me. Honestly speaking, I can’t even recollect a single thing from that film, except maybe the names of the cast members.

Now, let’s just forget about that one and focus on the one we have at hand. To say in a few words, I’m actually surprised. I quite enjoyed the film, it was much better than I had expected. So, let me share with you in detail what worked for me and what didn’t.

Disclaimer: Please stop reading if you haven’t watched the film and yet plan to do so. From here on, there definitely will be spoilers that might ruin your experience.

The Cast and Characters of Bad Newz

The Leading Trio

The cast was one of the reasons that I wanted to give the film a chance. I’m happy that they didn’t prove me wrong. Let’s dive into detail.

Triptii Dimri as the Alluring Saloni Bagga of Bad Newz

I have always been a supporter of Triptii. Have always rooted for her since the Laila Majnu days. Finally, I’m glad that she’s getting the much-deserved recognition and commercial success. But at the same time, a part of me is sad that she’s more celebrated for her recent frivolous appearances than her impactful character roles from her past.

Talking about her portrayal as Saloni. I was sceptical at first whether she’d be able to pull off the dramatic Bollywood heroine. But Triptii once again proved her versatility. She’s like water, in whichever container you place her, she’ll take its shape.

Enjoyed seeing her as Saloni. Saloni is someone very much like most of us – strong, independent, headstrong, and ambitious. As a chef, her biggest dream is to get her restaurant a Meraki star (most probably alluding to the Michelin Star). Triptii embodied her character wonderfully. The only thing that I wasn’t much fan of was how the makers objectified her with unnecessary body scenes in the song Jaanam.

Vicky Kaushal as Mamma’s boy Akhil Chadha in Bad Newz

There’s no need for me to tell you Vicky Kaushal was fantastic as usual. By each film, he’s just showing us all that he’s an all-rounder. His character, Akhil, is just the opposite of Triptii’s Saloni. Akhil is a typical mamma’s boy. Loud, pompous, clingy, someone who believes themselves to be truly special and unique because their mom said so. Somewhere, his character reminded me of Rocky from Rocky Aur Rani.

He’s essentially a rich kid born with a silver spoon. To speak frankly, I don’t think either Saloni or the viewers would have found this dude to be likeable if it weren’t for Vicky’s charm. Yes, I agree the character has a good heart, and he does get a redemption arc. But still, I do believe if this was real life, we would have found Akhil to be irritating, to say the least.

Ammy Virk as the Responsible Gurbir Singh Pannu in Bad Newz

This is my introduction to Ammy Virk as an artist. So I genuinely don’t know how to view his performance in comparison to his other works. But I will say this, what he did was enough for his character. Judging from this portrayal, I’m neither a fan nor a hater but a viewer. I would like to see more of him, though.

Speaking of his character, Gurbir, I’m honestly confused as to why he’s so in love with Saloni. Yes, he might feel himself responsible because one of the children she’s carrying is his, but still, I didn’t understand the logic behind their attraction or connection. It felt highly artificial.

Supporting Characters

The rest of the cast did a good job of backing the leading trio. Special mention to Sheeba Chaddha as Akhil’s mom. She played the typical Indian mom to perfection. Wish to see the creators utilize her talents more and more. Even Ananya Panday and Neha Sharma did contribute what was required of them through the cameos. But my favourite character was Ma Corona. Saloni’s aunt, played by a gusty Neha Dhupia. I wish we all had one such supportive, feisty aunt in our lives.

The Musical World of Bad Newz

Bad Newz in the area of the musical department was literally bad news for me. I mean, I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t impressed with the soundtrack of the film. Yes, I’m aware that Tauba Tauba was widely trending back then. But seriously, something about it sounds like some old forgotten tune from the past. Well, Vicky does look cool grooving to the music, but other than that, it was just meh. Also, my God, don’t get me started on that Jaanam song.

Direction, Story, and Dialogues

The director, Anand Tiwari, played a huge role in my decision to tune in to the film. Have always admired him from Go Goa Gone to Pappu and Papa. Even liked his vision in Maja Ma. Bad Newz, at least for me, is definitely not his best work, but it is not that bad, either. More than the direction, it’s the writing that I have some issues with.

The story and premise are unique, fun, and exciting in itself – a rare medical phenomenon heteropaternal superfecundation forms the baseline. A reproductive process in which twins are born to the same mother, but from different biological fathers. I mean common on it’s a gold mine of opportunities to explore artistically.

The film execution-wise is quite enjoyable. The first half was entertaining enough, but the second half felt a bit slow and dragging. One thing that I loved about the film was its fun and humorous dialogues. Also loved how they utilized evergreen bgms from iconic SRK aptly throughout. The scene with Vicky Kaushal and Kat’s poster was hilarious, and the Manmarziyan reference was as well (similar to the humour in Phone Bhoot).

My Issues with Bad Newz

• Saloni and Gurbir’s connection: As mentioned earlier, there doesn’t seem to be any organic chemistry or connection between the two characters. Why did he like her in the first place? Except that she’s good-looking, what other reasons, I don’t know. His fights with Akhil for her attention are also beyond me.
• Saloni and Gurbir’s encounter: It was personally difficult to watch. Yes, she asks him whether he consents before forcing herself onto him. But still, it’s horrible. If the gender were reversed, there definitely would have been a major upheaval. We as a society should never view such scenarios in a comedic light, as depicted here. Men, too, are often victims of harassment. This isn’t something that should be taken lightly.
• Saloni, the enchantress: I mean seriously, the way they show men roaming around her in the film, it feels like she’s the only woman in the universe. They even introduced the unnecessary character of Harman Sathija just for this purpose.
• Unnecessary Characters: Just like Harman Sathija, I hated the whole track of Sukhi Mama. I mean, it did no good except dragging the plot a bit further.
• Stretched second half: The movie could have benefited a lot if the editing was a bit more crisp. Unnecessary side characters and subplots just ruin the phasing.
• Akhil’s redemption arc and Gurbir’s consolation prize: Both felt unnatural and forced. Especially Gurbir reuniting with his ex-girlfriend at the end felt like a consolation prize giveaway.

Is Bad Newz Worth Your Time?

Overall, for me, the film was a mixed bag. It did have its moments, but at the same time, as I said, it has some issues as well. If you ask me, I will say yes if you would like to watch a light-hearted film during the weekend, then go for it.

Don’t expect very much in terms of story. But yes, you can watch it for its entertaining performances and comedic dialogues. To conclude, it’s a worthy one-time watch. Will I remember it after five years, or will I revisit it in the future? The honest answer will be no.