Moviereview A light-hearted, year-end treat
GOOD NEWWZ
Direction: Raj Mehta
Actors: Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Diljit Dosanjh, Kiara Advani ment executive. Then there are the loud Batras — homemaker Monika (Kiara) and god-knowswhat-does-he-do-for-a-living Honey (Diljit) from Chandigarh. After several failed attempts at getting pregnant, both couples end up at Mumbai’s best fertility experts, a couple played by Adil Hussain and Tisca Chopra. They both get IVF procedures and both finally have a baby on the way, when the doctors share the news that there’s been a mix-up with the sperm. The rest of the film tracks the poignant and funny turns of events as both couples try to come to terms with the situation they’re in.
The transitions from comedy to drama, especially in the last hour, are finely executed. The pace of the film is steady; the performances across the board, consistent. Kareena plays to the emotional side of her character with total sincerity. Akshay, as always, is spot-on with his comic timing. Diljit is a delight as the loud, boisterous Punjabi. Kiara impresses with her subtlety in a role that’s really loud.
On the flipside, stereotypes abound and that could be offputting to some. Also, some of the dialogue isn’t in keeping with the times, lines such as, “Being pregnant is a blessing for any woman” and “Apna khoon apna hota hai”.
The musi c a n d d a n c e sequences are fun, though two in the second half somewhat deviate from the plot. Of course, ‘Chandigarh mein’, with special appearances by Karan Johar, Badshah and Hardy Sandhu, is a magical treat. Watch for it in the end credits.
In a nutshell, Good Newwz gets the mix right most of the time, stays light-hearted, and is a great film to end the year with.
MONIKA RAWAL