Bad Newz Review: Vicky Kaushal's West Delhi swag carries this steamy rom-com

Bad Newz

Dishapatanification of Tripti Dimri and Varun Dhawanization of Vicky Kaushal is complete. But we are not complaining. At least I am not. In Bad Newz, Vicky Kaushal plays the Punjabiest Punjabi ever. His West Delhi boy act is very convincing and honestly, carries this 2 hour 22 minutes long film, delivering the right amount of comic punches.

He plays Akhil Chaddha, the bad boy from Karol Bagh who does complete justice to the spirit of West Delhi. How, you ask? To woo a girl on a date, he gets her 4 types of chaap—Tandoori, Achari, Malai, Makhani. The best part, he wears his heart on his sleeve. As a West Delhi boy myself, I can vouch for his acting. In fact, I swore in one scene, I saw him wear aviators which are very similar to the ones I bought from Janpath.

Bad Newz: Plot

Akhil meets Saloni Bagga (Tripti Dimri) at a wedding ceremony where her mother is looking for a suitable groom for her daughter. Neha Dhupia is Maa Korona, Saloni’s ‘psychiatrist-cum-therapist’ who gives her lots of gyaan, but frankly I couldn’t make sense of this role. Like all West Delhi boys, Akhil Chaddha loves to eat and is a quintessential mama’s boy. His doting mother, who has absolutely no sense of respecting his privacy, is played by Sheeba Chaddha. The two get married and vacation in Europe.

Bad Newz: Performances

Tripti Dimri plays Saloni, an ambitious woman who wants to be a Michelin…sorry, Meraki star chef. Akhil sabotages her plans which leads to their divorce and the entry of Ammy Virk as Gurbeer. The love of his life, Sejal, left him because she wanted him to be a vegetarian. Rest of the plot is revealed in the trailer itself. Saloni suffers from a medical condition with a complicated name, which means both Gurbeer and Akhil are fathers of the twins. The premise has promise but is the execution just as promising?

Bad Newz: Writing And Direction

What I absolutely loved about the film was just how many references it has to big Bollywood films. Everyone in the theater uttered the loudest gasp when a character said “Saamne waala Kabir maarta bhi Preeti ko hai, aur pyaar bhi use karta hai”. Something tells me Sandeep Reddy Vanga wouldn't be too pleased with this reference. There is also a scene where a Punjabi family sits together and watches a reality show on Colors, where Karan Johar is one of the judges. Akhil's mother is also seen bitching about KJo. There is a Mohabattein reference and also a Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham reference.

Bad Newz: What Works, What Doesn't

The cameo by Ananya Panday is somewhat unnecessary but adds to the star power of the film nonetheless. Thus critic was skeptical about if Dimri, whose acting chops were last seen in Netflix'a Qala, will be able to pull off a comedic role. Dimri doesn't let the momentum slow down her dramatic scenes and is on top of her game. The chemistry between Kaushal and Dimri is convincing (read: explosive).

Ammy Virk plays the exact opposite of a loud, brash Akhil. While Akhil is into muscle flexing, Gurbeer (Virk) is the calm, composed Gabru who is comfortable in his soft, gentle masculinity. The yin and yang meet, causing explosions and setting of fireworks.

While the first half of the film goes smoothly (except for a few scenes where the momentum takes a dip), the second half is more of a drag. The unnecessary arc of a Detective hired by Akhil brings down the tempo. The pace is slow, until a plot twist sets the stakes higher. The resolution in the end is nearly-perfect.

All in all, Bad Newz is good news. The film is the perfect family entertainer. Its target audience is urban middle class homes and it seems all the comic punches are written to especially cater to them. Much like last year's Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani, we have another masala entertainer that might just do well commercially. The best part? Most people in the audience stayed glued to their seats as ‘Tauba Tauba’ played during the end credits. The perks of going viral, you see.

Star rating: 3 / 5 stars

Bad Newz is now playing in theaters.