‘Bad Newz’ movie review

After the intense thriller “Kill,” the Dharma family returns to its staple formula, with producer Karan Johar expertly pushing boundaries just enough without causing too much controversy. Directed by Anand Tiwari, “Bad Newz” is a spiritual successor to the 2019 film “Good Newwz,” offering catchy headlines but lacking in depth. It feels like a popular Punjabi cinema product adapted for a Hindi-speaking audience, with a background score that makes a dramatic entrance even before the hero appears. The comedy revolves around heteropaternal superfecundation, a rare condition where two eggs from a woman with multiple partners are fertilized by two different sperms in one menstrual cycle.

In Bollywood terms, this condition represents the complex outcomes of love triangles. Tiwari has crafted the narrative to balance liberal values and youthful energy without alienating the conservative family audience.

Saloni Bagga (Triptii Dimri), an aspiring chef aiming for a Meraki Star for her restaurant, falls for Akhil Chaddha (Vicky Kaushal), a flamboyant West Delhi boy running a popular soya chaap shop. Despite his charm, Akhil’s overprotective nature hinders Saloni’s professional growth. After their breakup, Saloni relocates to Mussoorie, where she meets Gurbir (Ammy Virk), a calm Punjabi colleague recovering from a failed relationship with a Gujarati girl by opening a restaurant focused on Gujarati cuisine.

In a rare move for a Hindi film heroine, Saloni succumbs to her desires, only to realize that making new connections without resolving past emotional issues was unwise. Her situation symbolizes the struggles of a working woman with clear career goals, as her fraternal twins represent her career and love life. Can they coexist, or must one sacrifice for the other?

However, the screenplay’s structure and execution leave little room for subtlety or deeper exploration of a modern woman’s mental landscape, turning Saloni’s relatable situation into a farce. The predictable competition between the two fathers overshadows any discussion of her career aspirations, which initially caused her to leave Akhil.

Writers Ishita Moitra and Tarun Dudeja keep the film light with comic scenarios to maintain audience interest. Some work well, like the portrayal of elderly people’s engagement with TV soaps and reality shows, and the connection between a Gujarati girlfriend and non-vegetarian food is amusing. However, the situational humor is inconsistent and often feels like disjointed references from other sources.

Vicky Kaushal is the film’s saving grace, keeping the narrative on track even when the humor falters and the drama deflates. His portrayal of Akhil Chaddha feels like a close relative of Ranveer Singh’s Rocky in Johar’s cinematic universe. If the fluidity of his dance moves were mirrored in the storytelling, “Bad Newz” would have been a more uplifting experience.