Vicky Kaushal and Tripti Dimri’s song “Jaanam” from their upcoming movie “Bad Newz,” released on YouTube just a fortnight ago, has left netizens cringing. The sultry number features Kaushal and Dimri in bold avatars, engaged in vigorous amore without a care in the world. Composed, written, and sung by playback singer Vishal Mishra, the song ‘Jaanam’ has a modern groovy vibe; however, the visuals have also attracted much negative attention for being ‘too bold.’
Directed as a Hindi-language adaptation of the 2011 erotic romance novel “50 Shades of Grey” by British author E. L. James, the film is likely to remain in the same genre. Produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Amritpal Singh Bindra, and Anand Tiwari, the film is presented in association with Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective and is set to release on cinema halls and the popular OTT platform Amazon Prime on July 19.
While the idea may have seemed like a fresh page to Bollywood filmmakers, audiences were largely unimpressed by the needless nudity shown in the second title track of the film. The negative reviews of the second track, “Jaanam,” are likely to dampen audience perceptions of the film and may even result in a box office disaster for Kaushal and Dimri, as this is their first film of the year.
The music video for “Jaanam” starts with Vicky Kaushal and Tripti Dimri’s characters reaching their vacation home for a few days. Upon entering, the two engage in a sultry lip-locking session, followed by many sexually suggestive expressions in bed. Shortly after, they enter the pool and continue their passionate lovemaking. The fiery show of passion carries on into the shower, the dinner table, and even to the very end of the last credit’s rolling, leaving audiences to wonder, ‘How much is too much?’
Many netizens took to social media shortly after the video’s release, criticizing the Bollywood project for sacrificing India’s morals and values in the name of presenting a new masala. One user wrote, “It’s cringe.” While another user criticized actress Tripti Dimri’s bold presentation, saying, “She (Tripti) was so classy and dignified in her last film. Why this trashy styling? All this skin show doesn’t work for her. She is cute and pretty, not sexy and catty.” A user wrote, “It looks like an advertisement because there is no chemistry.” A comment also read, “More like 50 shades of Bollywood? This is so cringe-worthy. Vicky and Tripti deserve better.”
Actor Vicky Kaushal, famously known for his roles in “Masaan” (2015) and “Uri: The Surgical Strike” (2019), has been lauded time and again for his versatile acting abilities, in addition to being an independent talent in Bollywood. Whereas Tripti Dimri rose to fame after acting in the Ranbir Kapoor starrer “Animal” (2023) last year. Her innocent and seductive expressions in the film, in addition to the action-packed toxic male masculinity theme portrayed by Ranbir Kapoor, led the film to be an all-time box office blockbuster, raking in over ₹917 crore (US$110 million) worldwide.
Given the negative reviews being posted by Indian users, it can surely mean bad news for the upcoming Vicky Kaushal and Tripti Dimri starrer “Bad Newz.” Kaushal’s look for the upcoming project bears a stark resemblance to the look of Ranbir Kapoor in “Animal” last year, and if the context is set in the same direction, it can only mean that filmmakers bet their money on nudity and masala rather than the actual movie plot.
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India may have become progressive in recent years, but for the field of Bollywood, it seems that apart from the inclusion of elevated violence and nudity in mainstream cinematic productions, no other meaningful changes have occurred. The upcoming Bollywood production “Bad Newz” will likely fan the fire of ‘toxic masculinity’ in Indian society, just like its predecessors “Kabir Singh” (2019) and “Animal” (2023).
While singer Vishal Mishra’s vocals graced the passionate lyrics of the song “Jaanam” in tempo with the beats, Vicky and Tripti’s bold visuals stuck out for many users just like a “sore thumb.” Unless Bollywood filmmakers go easy on boldness and focus more on context and storyline, projects like the upcoming “Bad Newz” will fall flat at the box office, failing to reach their full potential despite the combined star power and advertising campaigns.
