PremiumThe Broken News Season 2 review: Jaideep Ahlawat, Shriya Pilgaonkar, and Sonali Bendre’s show is grittier, sharper, and fiercer
With the General Election in full swing, The Broken News Season 2 is a must-watch show on the list. Jaideep Ahlawat, Shriya Pilgaonkar, and Sonali Bendre are unmissable
Last Updated: 07.21 AM, May 03, 2024
The Broken News Season 2 story:
The first season of The Broken News ends with Radha Bhargav (Shriya Pilgaonkar) being arrested and branded as an ‘anti-national’ journalist for ‘revealing’ classified government information and allegedly compromising state security. Season two begins when Ragha gets her bail after more than a month’s ordeal in jail. Dipankar Sanyal’s (Jaideep Ahlawat) Josh 24/7 continues to rule the TRP with its sensationalisation of everyday news and cooking up stories with an overdose of ‘spices’, while Amina Qureshi (Sonali Bendre) steadfastly protects the ethics of journalism from its contemporary perils – hyperbole and bias in the newsroom – with plummeting viewership. Meanwhile, tech giant Nicolabs sits on the top of Awaz Bharati with Ronnie (Akshay Oberoi) as the business head. What follows is a battle of integrity and unbiased journalism versus power play, manipulation, and murders.
The Broken News Season 2 review:
What is good journalism after all? Do you get to see it today? Does the journalism around us have the courage to question the power or the honesty to deliver the truth unwaveringly, with due diligence? Or do we see the media houses turning into the slaves (or the mouthpieces) of big corporations that run the newsrooms for their profit interest? These are the questions that make the fresh eight episodes of the new Zee5 show are riveting and bingeworthy.
Like its previous season, The Broken News Season 2 takes the real references in terms of characters, headlines, and government policies in India and then blends them with fictional elements. The new season starts as a newsroom drama but turns into a chilling thriller by the end.
The first season of the show is largely about the approach of two media houses – Awaz Bharati and Josh 24/7. While one’s editor Dipankar Sanyal runs in a sensationalist rush to pull TRP and does not shy away from spicing up stories to sell better, the other editor, Amina Qureshi, believes in the integrity of the fourth pillar of democracy. Directed by Vinay Waikul and written by Sambit Mishra, the second season is also about this battle and more.
Radha Bhargav returns to her newsroom after spending days in jail. That changes her completely. The gritty journalist fails to keep her agenda of revenge aside from her editorial calls. This pains her friend, colleague, and mentor, Amina, who represents what is traditionally known as ethical journalism. Amina thinks Radha has lost her 'objectivity'. Meanwhile, when Dipankar Sanyal sees a steep competition of sensationalism from his colleague, Rehana (Geetika Vidya Ohlyan), he gets back to the basics of journalism, follows stories from the grassroots level, and finally emerges as the kingmaker in the show.
Jaideep Ahlawat is terrific as Dipankar Sanyal. He is fiercer than ever in the second season. Sanyal’s pride, commitment, and occasional vulnerability are readily captured by the actor.
Shriya, too, is outstanding. In season two, Radha Bhargav is more vulnerable and the actress captures that beautifully. However, it is Sonali Bendre who steals the hearts. Amina is perhaps what most of the journalists wanted to be and failed. The actress sends out constant reminders to those failures that all is not over yet. It doesn’t take much to get back to the ethics of journalism. It is the intent that matters. The actress has stepped up from the first season for sure. Meanwhile, her relationship with Pankaj (Indraneil Sengupta, who also delivers a rock-solid performance) is delectably handled in the show.
Also read: The Broken News Season 2 - Get a sneak peek at Dipankar Sanyal’s ‘masala’ in news strategy
The other actors, including Faisal Rashid as Kamal, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya as Juhi, Taaruk Raina as Anuj, Jay Upadhyay as Praful, and Akash Oberoi as Ronnie are completely convincing.
All the eight episodes are around 40-odd minutes long. But not for a moment they feel stretchy. The last three episodes that bring in the development of the lithium story make the show an edge-of-the-seat thriller. While the end is willy-nilly predictable, it keeps you glued to the screen. The occasional songs, especially the one that paints the pensive picture in episode seven, are beautiful. Finally, it is the writing, outstanding performance from almost every actor, especially Jaideep, Sonali, and Shriya, and fabulous presentation that make the show believable and gutsy.
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The Broken News Season 2 verdict:
This fictional show is a true-blue entertainer. However, it does not shy away from offering a commentary on the real socio-political issues in our country. By the end of the show, Radha Bhargav reminds us once again that we, the people of India, will never forget to question the pulpit. With the General Election – the biggest celebration of our democracy – in full swing, The Broken News Season 2 is a must-watch show on the list.