What Is the Story About?
Set in Madanapalli in the early 2000s, Newsense is about press people of the town. Shiva (Navdeep) and his colleagues at Republic are corrupt journalists who take sides for money. What happens when he is faced with a mighty opponent, a powerful police officer Edwin (Nanda Gopal), is the series’ overall story.
Performances?
Navdeep gets a makeover in Newsense. He is seen mouthing Seema slang and in a rugged small-town look. The body language, too, is modified accordingly but subtly. It is a good outing for the actor after a while, but nothing, in particular, stands out, making one go wow. There is scope, but the narrative doesn’t explore the inner turmoil or drama of his character in a way that elevates him as a performer. The effort is visible, and that’s about it for now.
Bindu Madhavi gets a decent role of an anchor who has higher dreams. She does well in whatever is given to her, but the content itself lacks meat. It has some moments, but they don’t add up to anything significant from what’s out so far.
Analysis
Sri Prawin Kumar writes and directs Newsense. The setting of the press and its journalist’s moral dilemmas in a small town and that too in a period setting makes for an exciting and fresh outing.
Newsense takes time to get going. It is evident from the start as a lot of time is taken to establish the characters and the world. The problem doesn’t end here, as multiple threads are opened one after the other. The narrative feels rushed as a result.
The world and period setting is fresh, but the content is nothing new. We have seen it all before. What still intrigues as a viewer is where the story progresses despite the cliches. Unfortunately, Newsense is all over the place in the initial episodes on that count, creating a nuisance.
The many morally ambiguous characters and lack of clarity from the writing perspective as to how to perceive them creates a significant issue with the series. Operating in a grey zone or having such characters is fine, but it needs a crystal clear presentation along with the story. On both counts, Newsense is found lacking during the initial episodes.
Luckily, despite the issues, the second half of the series engages. Things improve with the introduction of a new cop in the town and a murder investigation angle. A sense of cohesiveness or different tracks getting merged finally arises.
Again, just when one thinks things are getting interesting, the series ends with a build-up to the second season. Nevertheless, as mentioned earlier, intrigue is created from mid-season, and that is maintained despite the narrative being incoherent and missing clarity with certain characters. The ending will surely make one want to check out season two.
Overall, Newsense offers freshness in its setting, but the lack of clarity with characters and story hurts the narrative initially. It gets better towards the last couple of episodes and leaves one with intrigue. Give it a try if you like to see the usual but in a different setup.
Other Artists?
The supporting cast is well-picked for the respective roles. They don’t have the length of the lead but do well in the brief appearances they make during the course of the narrative. Nanda Gopal, as Edwin, easily stands out of the crowd due to his characterisation and unique (within the setting) dialogue delivery. He is the reason things get back on track or are engaging as Newsense gets to the final stages.
Shelly Nabu Kumar is impressive in the few dramatic moments she gets. Katta Anthony and Kumari are apt for the roles and do the emotional sequences well. Gnaneshwar Devanapalli and others are adequate in whatever they get.
Music and Other Departments?
Suresh Bobbili’s background score is effective. It is a mix of the modern and classical that fits well into the period. Multiple people handle the cinematography, but consistency is achieved, barring a few short-film-looking close-up sequences. Srinivas Bainaboyina’s editing should have been better. The narrative initially lags a lot. The writing is poor as the effort is kept more on the slang than the content.
Highlights?
Setting
Second Half Of The Series
Final Portions
Drawbacks?
Incoherent Narrative
Predictability
Missing Clarity
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, in parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, but with reservations
Newsense Series Review by Binged Bureau