“Bad Newz,” released on July 19, 2024, directed by Anand Tiwari and produced by Dharma Productions, Amazon Prime, and Leo Media Collective, arrived with a buzz fueled by its viral “Tauba Tauba” song and a quirky premise. Starring Vicky Kaushal, Triptii Dimri, and Ammy Virk, this spiritual sequel to “Good Newwz” (2019) hinges on heteropaternal superfecundation—twins with different fathers—offering a rare chance for bold comedy.

The plot follows Saloni Bagga (Triptii Dimri), a chef with culinary ambitions, who marries Akhil Chadha (Vicky Kaushal), a loud Delhi restaurateur, after a whirlwind romance. Their clashing priorities—her career versus his family obsession—end in divorce. Enter Gurbir Pannu (Ammy Virk), a gentle hotelier Saloni meets in Mussoorie. One chaotic night, she sleeps with both men, leading to a pregnancy twist: twins, each fathered by a different man. What follows is a rivalry between Akhil and Gurbir to win her heart and claim fatherhood, a premise ripe for hilarity that instead collapses under shoddy execution.

Vicky Kaushal tries valiantly to salvage the wreckage, bringing his trademark charisma and slick dance moves to Akhil. He’s the film’s sole flicker of life, especially in the chart-topping “Tauba Tauba” (relegated to the end credits), but even his all-out effort can’t mask the script’s mediocrity. Triptii Dimri, fresh off “Animal,” is reduced to a passive bystander, her character’s pregnancy a plot device rather than a role with agency—her blank expressions and fake bump only amplify the disconnect. Ammy Virk fares better as the soft-spoken Gurbir, but his underwritten part leaves him stranded, a foil without purpose. Supporting players like Neha Dhupia and Sheeba Chaddha are wasted, their roles as shrill parents adding nothing but noise.

The film’s biggest sin is its inability to capitalize on its outrageous concept. The first half lumbers through a rushed romance and breakup, punctuated by forced gags and dated sitcom-style humor that rarely lands. Self-referential jabs at Bollywood—like Akhil’s Katrina Kaif poster obsession—feel smug rather than clever, while the second half drowns in saccharine melodrama, abandoning comedy for cloying sentimentality. Songs like “Jaanam” and “Mere Mehboob Mere Sanam” (a tepid “Duplicate” remix) disrupt the flow, their glossy visuals clashing with the narrative’s tonal mess. At 142 minutes, it’s an overstretched slog, with subplots—like Ananya Panday’s pointless cameo—piling on the bloat.

“Bad Newz” aimed to be a zany romp but ends up a tedious misadventure. It’s not offensively bad—just forgettable, a glossy Instagram filter of a film that fades the moment it’s over. Kaushal’s star power and a catchy tune or two can’t save it from being a comedy that’s more exhausting than entertaining. For a story about double trouble, it delivers double disappointment—proof that a bold idea needs sharp execution, not just a big budget, to fly.

Rating: 2/5

A limp laugh-fest that’s bad news for anyone expecting more than surface-level fluff. Stream it if you must, but don’t expect it to linger.