The Broken News (Season 2)
Introduction
Not all battles are fought for victory, some are fought only to tell the world that someone was there on the battlefield. This famous quote by Ravish Kumar symbolizes the plight of the media in this country, where the game is only about TRP and media assasinations while successfully coaxing people into believing things that may not entirely be true. In Hansal Mehta’s show Scoop, there was another important quote – if someone says it is raining, and another says it is dry, it is not your job to quote them both! Just look out of the f****ing window and report the truth. This in itself is the idealistic principle of the media, and it is sad that the basic rule is not followed!
It was a couple of years ago that amidst all the content that was serving a certain political lineage, there came a show that did not refrain from asking searing questions along the course of its narrative. I was pleasantly surprised while watching the first season of The Broken News, a show based on rival news channels working on completely different idealisms. The incidents of the first season were borrowed from some real life incidents that made me applaud the writing that was so self aware of the issues going on around us. Come the second season of The Broken News, I expected it to be nothing short of tantalizing too, given that its first season had ended on a cliffhanger. With much anticipation, I ventured into the second season of The Broken News, does it manage to impress….let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
The second season of The Broken News picks up exactly from the point where the first season had ended, and it follows the story of the now revengeful Radha who wishes to take on Dipankar, the head honcho of the rival news channel, much to the dismay of Amina her boss. The story here is fiery and twisted while picking up bits of some vital cases that had been in the news in recent times. And the ability of the writing to adapt the actual cases circling in the media, and create a narrative on sorts was truly commendable to witness. And if you have been following the news and the role of media in sensationalizing it, you will indulge in the narrative. But the most important and impressive aspect of the screenplay standing at 8 episodes of roughly 30 odd minutes each, is that it chooses not to take sides, with the emphasis always being on unearthing the truth.
The drama opens with a cliffhanger from a future timeline that acts as a foreshadow for things to follow. Cutting to the present timeline, the drama continues with the gathered momentum of the previous season wherein you are reimtroduced to all the protagonists, and the situation where each of them find themselves in. At the helm of things is Radha who was previous arrested for her “alleged” role in Operation Umbrella(a case modelled around the Pegasus news). While there are attempts made to free her, there is instantly a game of one upmanship that invariantly plays out between two rival news channels – one heavily inclined to the right and the other aspiring to state facts as a part of the reporting. This core establishment of the conflict is further accentuated after Radha, now out on bail who starts sensationalizing news herself(by subconsciously inclining to her left beliefs) in order to get even with Dipankar, the head honcho of the rival news channel.
The proceedings are fast paced and supremely engaging given how well versed I was with all the news doing the rounds recently. As a result, I could exactly pin point the inspiration behind the various pieces of news being covered on the show, that ranged from the arrest of Aryan Khan to the entire SSR campaign, to the mid-day meal scam, the works of the IT cell, and Operation Umbrella(cough…Pegasus). But amidst this hoopla, the key ingredient that the writing scores in, is the characterization of the characters. We often see the world as black and white but the reality is that there is a lot of grey in all of us that we overlook. And the message imparted here is that, folks generally gravitate towards the news based on their preference, without wishing to know the truth. And that is an accurate representation of the people of this country(or for that matter anywhere in the world), something that is accurately represented through the characters of the show. So Dipankar still has a conscience and Radha is blinded by her beliefs which may not always be closer to the truth. Amidst these two is an idealist Amina, who is an epitome of an ideal journalist, and she features in a track that acts as a jigsaw puzzle, often unfolding as an undercurrent until the events in the third act that opens a can of worms.
There is a steady intensity that is maintained throughout the narrative which is essentially a game of one upmanship. The drama also provides a searing commentary on the plight of the media houses, most of which are actually run by businessmen who are known to tweak the narrative as per the wishes of the higher in command. The writers do not refrain from inducing a political angle to the proceedings wherein both media and the politicians(ofcourse while changing their designation, wink wink) are often hand in glove. And yet it is the third act that features a massive twist in the tale that is shocking in many ways while forming the basis of a moving final act. It is twisted, shocking, slightly dramatic as well but a much needed lesson for the media. The messaging at the end is heartening, and this format warranted for a character breaking the forth wall(a la SRK in Jawan). Overall, the screenplay is extremely well penned and very relevant to the times that we live in today.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational but filled with gems that you would either have encountered in reality, or simply lines that highlight the issues that the show wishes to talk about. And the lines definitely leave a lasting impact. The music is wonderful and blends perfectly with the situations that the characters find themselves in the drama. The BGM is good and heightens the drama at various junctures in the screenplay. The cinematography features frames that are nicely positioned to exude the right kind of vibe inside the newsrooms. The editing never stalls the drama at any junctures, in fact it maintains the intensity of the drama throughout. Director Vinay Waikul who was at the helm of things fir season 1 too, is once again in top form here. His virtue that was wonderful to witness was his clarity of thought, while coaxing the viewers to focus on the truth instead of rooting for their favourite characters. The narrative is balanced with the right mix of characterization that attributes for an incredible watch. And for that, the director deserves a whole lot of accolades for being unapologetic and unabashed with the truth that he wished to cater on the show.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the ensemble cast. Ishika Gagneja as Zeba, Rohit Tiwari as Mansoor, Suchitra Pillai as Meghna, Shrikant Yadav as Atul and Sukhmani Sadana as Arunima have their moments to shine. Vivek Madaan as Rahul delivers a wonderful act in a character that is polished while willing to be manipulated due to his personal gains. Dinker Sharma as Nandan is subtly intimidating and wonderfully restrained in a character that shines despite a limited screentime. Geetika Vidya as Rehana was a clear case of genius casting given that her character was modelled on a certain news anchor(umofficially ofcourse). She was a welcome addition to the series wherein she is simply brilliant to watch with her antics that may seem over the top but are restrained while being as close to reality as possible. And only a great actor could have pulled off this character with a certain sense of flair. Akshay Oberoi as Ronny is another interesting addition to the show, a seemingly deceptive character who is quietly charming with certain traces of being a manipulator. He is exceptional to watch here in another memorable outing by him.
Taaruk Raina as Anuj and Indraneil Sengupta as Pankaj are such accomplished actors, and both leave a lasting impression with their well restrained acts. Their pitch is often lower than the intensity that the show has to offer but in the process, both make their presence felt wonderfully well. Sanjeeta Bhattacharya as Juhi has a pleasant personality onscreen in a subtly brilliant act. Faisal Rashid as Kamal is superb to witness and here is an SOS to all casting directors – do cast him often, given the talent that he has.
Sonali Bendre as Amina is definitely modelled on the famous journalist Ravish Kumar and her ideals reflect on what principles journalism should thrive on. It was a pleasure to witness her act wherein she also scores with her charming screen presence. Shriya Pilgaonkar as Radha has a complex character to portray simply because the arc of her character was similar to a hairpin – it goes up and up until it turns and heads back. And in the process, there were a host of emotions that she had to dabble with. She is simply exceptional here in a performance wherein she has grown as an actor. Every beat of her character was pitch perfect in a memorable outing by her. Jaideep Ahlawat as Dipankar is a delight to watch as always. This was a complex character given how easily anyone could have gone carried away with it. But to adds bouts of madness while maintaining a leash of restraint and in the process humanizing a character which was not very likable in the first place, was a sign of a great actor at work. He is brilliant to the core here and adds such simplicity with respect to the emotions that he caters to. He was incredible in every sense of the word!
Conclusion
Boasting of incredible performances, The second season of The Broken News is a brilliant take on the twisted plight of the media versus their idealistic principles, in a drama that is excellent to witness. Available on Zee5 and Highly Recommended!
