What Is the Story About?
After being branded an ‘anti-national’ for her story on Operation Umbrella, Radha Bhargava is jailed. It takes persistent efforts from her superior Amina Qureshi to get bail. Post her return, Amina and Radha’s equation takes a turn for the worse due to their ideological differences. Meanwhile, their arch-rival Dipankar’s authority is put to test in his own channel.
Performances?
The Broken News is easily the best thing to have come Sonali Bendre’s way at the right stage in her career, showcasing she has a lot more to offer to the visual medium. As a poised, uncompromising journalist who holds onto her value system till her last breath, she breathes life into the portrayal of Amina Qureshi.
It’s high time that Shriya Pilgaonkar is not merely addressed as a ‘talent on the rise’ – she has consistently proved her mettle in the digital space and The Broken News is another testament to her range as a performer. The raw screen presence of Jaideep Ahlawat, playing a senior hand who loses direction in his career, is another reason to make time for the show.
Several other actors get ample scope to shine, from the enthusiastic Taaruk Raina to the ever-dependable Faisal Rashid, Suchitra Pillai, Indraneil Sengupta, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Akshay Oberoi et al.
Analysis
Though underappreciated, The Broken News was a breath of fresh air in the Hindi OTT space, authentically capturing the mundanity and larger reality in newsrooms across the country. If the delectably scripted first season was about two influential media houses with contrasting approaches to journalism, the battle gets personal, bitter and uglier in the second instalment.
While the first season’s focus was to introduce viewers to modern-day challenges within journalism and the twisted interpersonal relationships among scribes, the creators now take a cinematic turn for the want of drama and thrills. The Broken News 2 is exaggerated and engaging even if it doesn’t offer anything new thematically in comparison to the first instalment.
Packed with debates around scams, propaganda and editorial authority, the show also portrays journalists relentlessly seeking refuge in work at the cost of their personal lives. Amina doesn’t give herself the time to process her equation with a ‘friendly’ colleague. Radha returns to work almost immediately after jail time. Dipankar’s marriage takes a decisive turn amidst the number-crunching game.
The Broken News 2 explores many complications that Radha lands herself into when she chooses not to deal with her ‘grief’ and be a workhorse. It severs her equation with Amina, messes up her editorial choices and she turns into a mirror image of the beast that her arch-rival Dipankar has become.
The contrasting approaches between an ‘old school’ idealistic journalist like Amina and an emotionally charged yet disoriented youngster Radha pave the way for absorbing drama. Yet, there are too many coincidences in Radha’s life that appear forced – she’s entrusted with a digital wing of a channel out of the blue and the company has a new boss, who conveniently happens to be an ex.
The show mirrors the worrying scenario of corporate houses and political parties keeping a stranglehold on the media industry, thereby eroding a common man’s faith in the fourth estate. The Broken News 2 is as relevant as it gets – dealing with a lithium scam, an opposition party’s tryst with cryptocurrency, the dangers of electoral bonds, illegal micro-financing apps and more.
Much like the first season, the show refuses to box its pivotal characters as black and white. It sincerely dives into their psyche, their love for the job and how they lose/regain direction as per circumstances. Amina hangs onto the editorial values of journalism and is aware of her supposed ‘irrelevance’ whereas Dipankar and Radha lose their way due to borderline narcissism.
After a sedate start, the drama thickens with a murder mystery with several pivotal characters rediscovering their purpose. There are delicious plot twists and mind games as the show creators consciously pay tribute to journalism and reinstate its worth among the masses. The resolution is rosy, offering poetic justice but one wishes the writing could’ve been smarter.
Despite its problems, Sambit Mishra and Vinay Waikul deserve credit for giving the Indian digital space another worthy media-centric drama after Scoop. Timed perfectly during the election season, it’s a plea to a citizen to look beyond the mindless celebration of political leaders and states the need to question them and point a finger when they’re wrong.
Music and Other Departments?
The background score uses every trick in the book to tap into the show’s tense, brooding ambience with elan. Even within the geographical limitations, the cinematography is consistently alluring and contributes to the show’s visual appeal. The screenplay is as sharp as it gets, not letting the viewer rest even for a minute.
Highlights?
Immersive narration
Fabulous performances
Incisive look into journalism
Drawbacks?
Monotony in the newsroom drama
Occasional exaggeration and cinematic liberties
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
The Broken News 2 Series Review by Binged Bureau
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