Can the subaltern speak? The world, especially the colonies, has grappled with this question as much as Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak who produced a seminal work on the topic.
As the jury is out on whether they can speak or not, it certainly is the job of the fourth estate to speak for the exploited. It’s the singular duty press is entrusted with. However, much is left to be desired on that front in the times and climes we live in.
So, does that mean all was hunky-dory earlier? No, if one has to go by aha’s new series ‘Newsense’.
Based in Madanpalle village, ‘Newsense’ explores the deep nexus between media and powers-to-be and how as a fallout people are at the receiving end.
Shiva (Navadeep) is a journalist and an underdog himself. However, today he is more than happy to take money in lieu of not publishing stories. One such story he comes across is that of Ayyappa, a poor farmer whose land has been usurped by a local politician. Eventually, Ayyappa dies without getting justice and the case snowballs. Whether this serves as a trigger to shake Shiva’s consciousness or not is the crux of the story.
Writer Priyadarshini Ram has built a humanely familiar but clichéd story around the national time pass of media bashing. The complexities of media or the multilayered functioning required are largely unexplored.
When the titles appear at the beginning, one of the persons thanked is Ram Gopal Verma Garu. As we sit through the decently-timed and moderately-paced six-part series, it is evident that director Shriprawin Kumar is paying homage to the RGV style of filmmaking.
The way scenes are composed, characters and situations are built, and the theme itself, all bear a distinct RGV imprint. Hence more or else we know what to expect.
Scenes depicting atrocities being committed on the weak are sincerely shot and do have a heart-wrenching impact. Infact good work has been done to bring out the local flavour through locations and dialogues.
Movies or series generally are notorious for the either over-glamourised or over-fictitious portrayal of journalism. ‘Newsense’ is guilty of both. After spending a quarter of a century in this profession, it is amusing to see that the media is run like a mafia from a press club. One senior journalist presides over, and takes decisions pertaining to all publications, and equal distribution of bribes is an institutionalised activity.
The world created here is ruled by men and toxic masculinity. Bindu Madhavi, who plays a journalist called Neela, is the only exception. However, she is reduced to playing the love interest of Shiva amidst occasional murmurs by her to go to Hyderabad and make it big professionally. For that too, she is shown pleading to Shiva.
While all characters have been introduced, the premise has been set, now the main action needs to take place. Espousing the theme of eat the rich, this is just the first season and hence there is a sense of incompleteness. As you wait for the next season, make sense of this filmy portrayal of media being played out on aha which does have some decent performances.
Series: Newsense
OTT: aha
Director: Shriprawin Kumar
Cast: Navdeep, Bindu Madhavi
