Top Of Their Game

Vicky Kaushal has always been unassuming despite his many successes portraying emotionally complex characters on the silver screen.

- BARRY RODGERS

When you watch a movie starring him, you can expect a masterclass performance. It’s almost become second nature to him. From the devastatingly beautiful portrayal of a man face to face with grief in the 2015 sleeper hit Masaan to his stoic turn as India’s first field marshal, Sam Manekshaw in Sam Bahadur—Kaushal always delivers. And then there’s the sneakily softboy Kaushal with a hard edge in arguably one of his more, er, smooth performances in the song everyone can’t seem to get enough of, Tauba Tauba, where he slithers and motions for you to take him as he is—thirst trap and all. The song is from his upcoming film Bad Newz, co-starring Triptii and Ammy Virk.

Bad Newz, directed by Anand Tiwari, may be packaged as a comedy. Yet, it spotlights a rare condition, referred to as heteropaternal superfecundation, where two eggs are fertilised by sperm from different fathers. According to a 2020 paper published in Animal Genetics, this phenomenon is relatively common in sheep and rams but rare in humans, with only 19 reported cases to date globally.

In the film, Kaushal portrays Akhil Chaddha, a West Delhi guy who manages his family’s business and lives carefree. He’s cheerful, spontaneous, and full of energy, with modest aspirations. Akhil deeply loves Saloni, played by Dimri, who is strong-willed and practical in her approach to life.

“When you’re dealing with a film that carries a strong social message, it’s crucial for it to not come off as preachy. Comedy, in a way, serves as the perfect vehicle for such stories,” says Kaushal, who has previously starred in comedies like The Great Indian Family (2023) with Manushi Chhillar, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (2023) with Sara Ali Khan, and Govinda Naam Mera (2022) alongside Bhumi Pednekar and Kiara Advani.