Exclusive: Sonali Bendre On ‘The Broken News’: “I Wanted To Come Back With A Character That Has A Strong Voice”
As a journalist, I’ve spent my time working in a newsroom at one point of time in my life. And let me tell you this, it’s not a fun place to work in unless you like the fast-paced hard news environment. The world behind the news channel that breaks the breaking news can be a tad bit crazy. Having said that, there’s a show that is all set to show us all a little insight into this crazy news world and it’s actress Sonali Bendre’s OTT debut show, The Broken News, which also stars OTT regulars Jaideep Ahlawat and Shriya Pilgaonkar in key roles. It also stars Taaruk Raina, Aakash Khurana, Kiran Kumar, Indraneil Sengupta, and many others. The show that is all set to premiere on Zee5 is an adaptation of the popular 2018 British series Press. Directed by Vinay Waikul and produced by Sameer Gogate, the show will premiere on June 10. Ahead of the release, we spoke to actress Sonali Bendre about her show and she told us all about working with an ensemble cast, making her OTT debut with the show and more. Let’s take a look at what she had to say.
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Q. Why OTT now and why The Broken News to begin your OTT journey?
Sonali Bendre: So, OTT now because there’s so much new content coming which is different and the voices are different. It’s a very exciting time because so many different stories can be told. There is a place for stories and for very different voices. The Broken News because whenever I started doing fiction I wanted to come with a character that had a strong voice. I play Amina Qureshi, Editor-in-chief of Awaaz Bharti and I think she has a very strong voice. I wanted a story that was relevant to today’s time. Most importantly, I wanted to play my age. I always want stories to have hope because I think that’s what kept me going and that’s what keeps us going. So it’s very important for me when we tell stories.
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Q. How are you dealing with the pressure of having to live up to fan expectations? Is it any different from the Friday jitters about the Box Office?
Sonali Bendre: I don’t have any stress of living up to anybody’s expectations because I don’t think anybody has seen me in this kind of role. It is a first so there’s nothing for it to be based on so, there is no expectation and no jitters. Also, the beauty of doing things with an ensemble cast on an OTT platform is different. And I’m looking forward to sharing a story which is told very well and directed really well and has a great cast and I hope the audience enjoys it. So I think rather than jitters, it’s more of the excitement to bring the story to the audience.
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Q. Everyone is talking about how this show is inspired by a certain someone who is known to sensationalize the news. What can you say about that?
Sonali Bendre: Really? I don’t think the show is about any one single person or on either side or any of the spectrum or any of the characters be it Jaideep or Shriya or me or any of the other characters around us. I think it’s more about the thought process and it shows you what goes on behind that headline, behind that breaking news that we’re all kind of running behind. And all of us go for the clickbait or when we find it interesting is when we five into it more. But what goes on behind that headline or behind that particular story for it to come out, the human emotions, the drama, the pressures, the choices that have to be made, all that happens behind the scene in a newsroom is I think extremely exciting and it’s human drama and that’s what the show, shows.
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Q. Amina is an ethical journalist and we’ve seen the dark side of media. As a public personality, what’s your take on that?
Sonali Bendre: I would not want to put any sort of labels on any of the characters because most people want to be ethical and do the right thing and be correct about things but the circumstances matter. Sometimes you make a choice and then you’re stuck with it and are forced to follow it through. I won’t say that Amina is proper and ethical. I think Amina has her dark or rather grey moment and there are times when she questions herself and the choices she has to make and if she should be in this field or not and all that. And it’s all this turmoil that makes the character very interesting for me.
I think today’s news is a reflection of the society that we are living in. We are in midst of a huge revolution and we are getting information like it’s never been seen before. In known mankind and civilization, nobody’s ever had this kind of information and nobody has ever been able to pass information so quickly. So honestly, I think we’re all going a little mad about it because we don’t know how to deal with this kind of access. And I think it will come to a place where it will begin to settle down because there will be a new normal, and we are in process of discovering a new normal. It’s a huge society.
Some people understand what happens and where the news is coming from and if they should trust it or not and some people are in the process in between somewhere. Some people are still in denial that there is a change happening. So, I think till we all kind of progress, there will be clashes and change is always uncomfortable. I think we are living that period in history. We are going through a change and it’s always going to be uncomfortable. It’s the right time to have uncomfortable conversations which I think is what The Broken News does.
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Also Read: Sonali Bendre Makes Her OTT Debut With Zee5’s ‘The Broken News’, Starring Jaideep Ahlawat, Shriya Pilgaonkar
Q. Entertainment has become content now. But then again, it is also opening up so much space for talent, especially female talent, that didn’t have much of a chance before. How do you see this?
Sonali Bendre: I think it’s the best time. It’s so exciting because of the OTT platforms and the way content is being consumed now that all these changes are happening. We’re really, it’s not just the media, news but also the entertainment industry that’s in a state of flux. Everything is in a state of change. Change is exciting and change is the only constant. So the entertainment industry is also going through this change. I think it’s great because there are so many more voices that have a place that have a place, platform on which they can be seen and heard.
So in the process, this, the amount of talent that kind of comes out, be it different kinds of directors, writers, technicians because the technique is changing so much. The way things are being shot has changed so much. And because of all these different kinds of stories that are being told, there are different kinds of actors that can be seen. So, there’s so much more that can be done. I think it’s becoming more and more representative of the society that we are living in or have been living in because there are many more voices and diversity, which is so welcomed. I think it’s a great time for content. There are a lot of strong roles coming out for women which is super exciting for me. But I also think that this is a period where a lot of other marginalized voices also are finding a platform, not just women, so exciting times.
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Q. What was it like to work with Jaideep and Shriya, who’ve both done so much in the OTT space?
Sonali Bendre: It was very exciting and I was a little scared also because their rhythm is so different and they’re really good actors. I think I learned a lot from them. And that’s the exciting part about working with new people and working with new voices. So because it’s different. Be it technology, be it the rhythm of direction from Vinay sir or Shriya and Jaideep. The rhythm was different from what I was used to so, there was a lot of learning to do, and that was exciting for me.
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Q. Have you ever come across any news piece about yourself that surprised you because you never did or said something like that?
Sonali Bendre: Look for the amount of time that I’ve been in the industry, there have been too many of those. And I’ll tell you very frankly, contrary to what everybody believes. I think in my earlier period, there was more fake news because I didn’t have a chance to clarify it. Today with social media, I can clarify it and I can put my voice out the way it is. Who wants to hear it? They’ll hear it. Who doesn’t want to, they will not hear it. That’s different, but at least I have a means of putting it out. Frankly, when I started working, I didn’t have the means to put something like this out.
Whenever I spoke, I spoke through a journalist or a magazine and it was their version of what I was or what they thought it should be. So quite frankly, I rather prefer it this way, where I have a direct contact with my fan base or with my viewer. I don’t have to be going through somebody. This is exciting time for media and news also because of so many changes happening. I keep saying that so much of change is happening but literally I could not have put my voice out the way I put it out now because of the social media. Earlier, that would not have been possible for me.
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The Broken News premieres on Zee5 on June 10. So, go get watching, guys!
