Good Newwz is a 2019 Indian comedy film directed by Raj Mehta in his directotal debut and produced by Dharma Productions and Cape of Good Films. It stars Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Diljit Dosanjh and Kiara Advani and revolves around two couples' tryst with in vitro fertilization.[3][4]
| Good Newwz | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Raj Mehta |
| Written by | Screenplay: Jyoti Kapoor Dialogues: Jyoti Kapoor Rishabh Sharma Raj Mehta |
| Story by | Jyoti Kapoor |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Vishnu Rao |
| Edited by | Manish More |
| Music by | Songs: See Soundtrack Score: John Stewart Eduri |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Zee Studios |
Release date |
|
Running time | 132 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹70 crore[1] |
| Box office | ₹318.57 crore[2] |
Principal photography commenced in November 2018 and wrapped up by April 2019.[5]
The film was released theatrically on 27 December 2019 coinciding New Year Festivities and became one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2019, with a final worldwide gross of ₹3.18 billion (US$45.16 million); it is Kumar's highest-grossing film in India. With this film, Kumar set a new record in 2019 by having three consecutive domestic 200 Crore Club net films alongside Mission Mangal and Housefull 4.[6][2]
Plot
editVarun Batra is the CEO of a Volkswagen showroom in Mumbai and his wife, Deepti "Deepu" Batra, is a celebrity journalist. The two are a happily married couple going on seven years, but struggle to conceive a baby. Varun's sister Richa suggests the couple meet reputed fertility specialist Dr. Anand Joshi, who suggests they do in vitro fertilisation (IVF), a fertility technique that will enhance their chances. They agree, Varun submits sperm samples, and Dr. Joshi seemingly places the couple's embryo created in his lab in Deepti's uterus.
12 days later, Varun and Deepti are hastily summoned by Dr. Anand's wife, Dr. Sandhya Joshi, where the two run into another couple: Honey Batra and Monika "Moni" Batra, who have elected IVF as well. Anand guiltily reveals that a sperm mix-up has occurred due to the two couples homonymous surname: Varun's sperm have been fertilised Monika's eggs, and Honey's sperm with Deepti's eggs. Shocked beyond belief, both couples attack the two doctors. The doctors suggest that the couples go for a minor procedure so there is no chance of pregnancy. Varun later learns from Honey that Monika is pregnant with Varun's child, and Deepti is pregnant with Honey's child, but his rudeness causes Honey to fear the loss of his own child. He vows to prevent an abortion on Deepti's part, and he and Monika rent out a flat just above Varun's and Deepti's, much to the couple's shock.
Varun and Deepti initially project frustration against Honey and Monika during the first six months of pregnancy for interfering in their lives. However, during a routine check-up in the seventh month of pregnancy, Sandhya advises Deepti to try talking to Monika, who is probably going through as much as she is, being emotionally distressed. Realising that she needs to try to understand the situation, Deepti asks Monika out for a street food treat, during which they start getting to know each other. Deepti learns that Monika had suffered two miscarriages, making her sympathise, and the women bond. However, Varun still nurses a negative attitude, especially since Deepti is not carrying his child. She takes a stand in Honey's and Monika's favour for the first time, angrily telling Varun that he never cared to understand anything that happened post the mishap.
Varun, with Deepti's confrontation still fresh in his mind, makes an attempt to bond with Honey when they meet at a bar, and they almost strike a chord with each other, until Honey expresses concern over Deepti's work commitments, which he thinks will have a negative impact on the child. Varun, incensed, snubs Honey in a possessive manner, an argument between the two escalates until Varun storms out and Honey is arrested after the manager drops a call.
That night, amidst heavy rains, Monika knocks on Deepti's door in desperation: she has gone into premature labour and Honey is nowhere to be found. Varun hurriedly drives Monika to the hospital and she gives birth to Varun's child. However, the newborn is shifted to a critical unit in grave condition, having been born with a respiratory defect, accelerated by Monika's history of miscarriages, with little chance of survival. As it dawns on him that the baby is in fact his, Varun begins crying and hugs Honey when he arrives after being let off with a warning. Even as Honey and Monika reunite, he goes home and breaks down in Deepti's arms, apologising for his past insensitivity.
For a few weeks, both couples pray for the baby's recovery and Monika remains in the hospital as Deepti tends to her. The baby finally recovers and after 2 months, Deepti too has a successful delivery. Varun, now a changed man, invites Honey and Monika to meet the baby. Both couples finally bond and accept each other, holding each other's babies in their arms.
Cast
edit- Akshay Kumar as Varun Batra
- Kareena Kapoor Khan as Deepti "Deepu" Batra
- Diljit Dosanjh as Honey Batra
- Kiara Advani as Monika "Moni" Batra
- Tisca Chopra as Dr. Sandhya Joshi
- Adil Hussain as Dr. Anand Joshi
- Anjana Sukhani as Advocate Richa Ahuja
- Faisal Rashid as Vivek Ahuja
- Sunita Dhir as Manjot Batra
- Amishka Sood as the IVF Hospital Receptionist
- Yukta Mookhey as patient at IVF centre
- Richa Kapoor as Reeta Batra
- Pradeep Kuckreja as Rajan Batra
- Kavita Pais as Kamini Kashya
- Shivam Pal as the Airport cab driver
- Karan Ashar as Akash Singhania, Varun's friend
- Taksh Dave as Tarun Batra, Varun's Showroom kid
- Vishwa Sharma as the Old IVF Patient
- Uddhav Dharap as Patient at IVF Centre
Special appearances
edit- Karan Johar in the song "Chandigarh Mein"
- Badshah in the song "Chandigarh Mein"
- Harrdy Sandhu in the song "Chandigarh Mein"
- Sukhbir in the song "Sauda Khara Khara"
- Mohit Raina as Murari, flight passenger
Production
editPre-production
editThis film's name was announced on Twitter. It is Dosanjh's first film under the banner of Dharma Productions.[7]
Filming
editFilming commenced in December 2018, with Dosanjh and Advani filming their scenes.[8] Kumar and Kapoor joined filming in January and announced it by posting on Instagram.[9] During a recent interview and in a Twitter post, Kumar said about Kapoor, "We are extremely fond of each other. Bebo and Lolo tease me about the amount of money I’m making and I tease them about having a flat in every building in Bandra. That's our fun banter."[10] Anjana Sukhani joined the cast, and his was revealed to be Kumar's sister.[11] The filming was finished in the first week of April 2019.[12]
Release
editThe film was slated to release on 6 September but was pushed to 29 November, and pushed again to release on 25 December 2019, on the festival of Christmas.[6]
Soundtrack
edit| Good Newwz | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Tanishk Bagchi, Rochak Kohli, Lauv, Lijo George – DJ Chetas, Manj Musik – Herbie Sahara, Sukhbir and Kshmr | |||||
| Released | 26 December 2019[13] | ||||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | ||||
| Length | 27:55 | ||||
| Language | Hindi | ||||
| Label | Zee Music Company | ||||
| |||||
The film's music is composed by Tanishk Bagchi, Rochak Kohli, Lauv, Lijo George (DJ Chetas), Manj Musik (Herbie Sahara), Sukhbir and Kshmr. The songs are written by Kumaar, Rashmi Virag, Tanishk Bagchi, Sukhbir, Gurpreet Saini, Ari Leff, Michael Pollock, Herbie Sahara and Vayu. The background score is composed by John Stewart Eduri.
The song "Sauda Khara Khara" is a remake of Sukhbir's song, recreated by Lijo George-DJ Chetas, while the song "Laal Ghagraa" is a remake of Sahara's and Musik's song, and has been recreated by Bagchi, who added an interlude from Daler Mehndi's song "Ho Jayegi Balle Balle" to the recreated version.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Chandigarh Mein" | Tanishk Bagchi, Badshah | Tanishk Bagchi | Badshah, Harrdy Sandhu, Lisa Mishra, Asees Kaur | 3:25 |
| 2. | "Laal Ghaghra" | Tanishk Bagchi, Herbie Sahara | Tanishk Bagchi, Manj Musik–Herbie Sahara | Manj Musik, Herbie Sahara, Neha Kakkar | 4:28 |
| 3. | "Zumba" | Vayu | Tanishk Bagchi | Romy | 2:57 |
| 4. | "Maana Dil" | Rashmi Virag | Tanishk Bagchi | B Praak | 3:55 |
| 5. | "Sauda Khara Khara" | Kumaar | Lijo George – DJ Chetas, Sukhbir | Diljit Dosanjh, Sukhbir, Dhvani Bhanushali | 3:31 |
| 6. | "Dil Na Jaaneya" | Gurpreet Saini, Ari Leff, Michael Pollock | Rochak Kohli, Lauv | Rochak Kohli, Lauv, Akasa Singh | 3:51 |
| 7. | "Dil Na Jaaneya" (Unplugged) | Gurpreet Saini | Rochak Kohli | Arijit Singh | 3:03 |
| 8. | "Good Newwz (Theme)" | – | KSHMR, Tanishk Bagchi | – | 2:45 |
| Total length: | 27:55 | ||||
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of 17 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.10/10.[14][15]
Taran Adarsh gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and said, "Excellent. This one's a sure-fire hit. Smart writing. Fantastic humour. Heartfelt emotions... Superb performances [Akshay, Kareena, Diljit, Kiara]. 2019 will conclude with a big winner, with [Good Newwz]."[16] Rajeev Masand of News 18 gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and said, "If Good Newwz doesn't go off the rails when the tone shifts, it's because the actors stay sincere and committed as the narrative evolves. The heart of the film is its cast anyway."[17]
Box office
editGood Newwz earned ₹17.56 crore at the domestic box office on its opening day. On the second day, the film earned ₹21.78 crore. On the third day, the film earned ₹25.65 crore, for a total opening weekend earning of ₹65.99 crore.[2]
As of 21 February 2020[update], with a gross of ₹244.21 crore in India and ₹74.36 crore overseas, the film has a worldwide gross collection of ₹318.57 crore and is the sixth highest grossing Bollywood film of 2019.[18][2]
Home media
editThe film was made available to stream on OTT platform Amazon Prime on 22 February 2020.[19]
Sequel
editA spiritual sequel, Bad Newz, was theatrically released on 19 July 2024. It stars Vicky Kaushal, Triptii Dimri, and Ammy Virk and deals with heteropaternal superfecundation.[20]
References
edit- ^ "Good Newwz - Movie - Box Office India". boxofficeindia.com.
- ^ a b c d "Good Newwz Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 24 December 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- ^ "Akshay Kumar is the Only Male Superstar Who Never Asks Who the Director is, Says Karan Johar". News18. 18 November 2018. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- ^ "'Good News'! That's the title of Kareena Kapoor Khan's next with Akshay Kumar". DNA India. 31 July 2018. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ "Good Newwz (2019)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan's Good News to release on December 27". Hindustan Times. 27 April 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
- ^ Diljit Dosanjh [@diljitdosanjh] (30 November 2018). "#GOODNEWS @DharmaMovies @karanjohar Sir @akshaykumar Sir #KareennaKapoorKhan Ji @Advani_Kiara #RajMehta Sir @ShashankKhaitan Sir 😊🙏🏽 It's a Dream Come True When you get to Work with Your Favourite Productions House and an Awesome TEAM 😊 SHUKAR 🙏🏽 LOVE MY FANS 😊🙏🏽 https://t.co/eGDcPBnUi4" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Karan Johar's Good News goes on floors today, Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor Khan to join later". Times Now. 30 November 2018. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ "Akshay Kumar shares new pic with pouty co-star Kareena Kapoor from sets of Good News". Hindustan Timesimes. 11 February 2019. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ "Good News: Akshay Kumar on Kareena Kapoor Khan open up about their friendly banter". www.filmsbit.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- ^ "SCOOP! Akshay Kumar – Kareena Kapoor Khan's Good News gets a new cast member (read details inside)". Bollywood Hungama. 10 April 2019. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
- ^ "Good News cast announce film's wrap; Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor starrer to release on 6 September". First Post. 7 April 2019. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
- ^ "Good Newwz – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Jio Saavn. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
- ^ "Good Newwz". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ "Good Newwz". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ adarsh, taran (25 December 2019). "#OneWordReview...#GoodNewwz: EXCELLENT. Rating: This one's a SURE-FIRE HIT... Smart writing. Fantastic humour. Heartfelt emotions... Superb performances [#Akshay, #Kareena, #Diljit, #Kiara]...2019 will conclude with a big winner, with #GoodNewwz. #GoodNewwzReview pic.twitter.com/9YUx24tiTB". @taran_adarsh. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ^ Masand, Rajeev (28 December 2019). "Good Newwz Movie Review: Akshay Kumar Film is a Bumpy Ride But There's Lot to Laugh About". News18.
- ^ "Bollywood Top Grossers Worldwide". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 18 November 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- ^ Sunder, Gautam (4 February 2020). "Amazon Prime February 2020 releases: 'Darbar', 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood', 'Hunters' and more". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "Bad Newz trailer: Vicky Kaushal and Ammy Virk have comedic 'kalesh' over Triptii Dimri, trailer reveals film's big twist".
