Newsense Review: Navdeep, Bindu Madhavi Showcase Bitter Side Of Political Journalism

OTT platform Aha released its latest Telugu webseries on May 12, 2023, Newsense, a show that reveals the bitter side of political journalism. Newsense is based on real events that happened in 2003. With actors Navdeep and Bindu Madhavi playing the lead roles, the show is directed by Sri Parwin Kumar.

Newsense is set against the backdrop of Madanapally in the year 2003. Shiva (Navdeep) is a journalist who works for Republic TV and is a member of the Press Club in Madanapally. The protagonist has his own shades of grey and survives by twisting the news for money without any journalistic morals or ethics. What matters most to him is money. He craves respect. A few instances reveal Shiva having a little bit of conscience. But what turned him into this unethical and immoral person? What made him a money-minded and insensitive person?

Neena (Bindhu Madhavi), Shiva’s love interest, works as a newsreader and is also a member of the Press Club. She aspires to move to Hyderabad and pursue a career in national television.

Newsense Webseries Review

In the village of Madanapally, a political battle has been going on for years between two leaders: Karunakar Reddy, the ruling party’s MLA, and Nagireddy, of the opposition party. The innocent villagers fall prey to corrupt politicians who are fighting for power, corrupt police officers, and unethical media personnel.

With the local elections approaching, both parties try to pull each other apart. Shiva exposes Nagireddy’s illegal activities, thus putting his life in danger. Will he be able to save himself from the troubles?

A new SI comes to town, and he dares to question the corrupt politicians and dishonest media. Why is he out of the box? Does he have a backstory? Why is he often locking horns with Shiva?

Apart from the stories of Shiva, politicians, and police officials, the villagers who fall prey to the greedy system have their own narratives. There is an elderly couple who are fighting with the system to get back their land; there is a grandfather who dies due to a lack of transport facilities in the village, leaving his granddaughter alone. The story ends on a cliffhanger, and only a second season of ">Newsense will reveal the answers to all the above questions.

Navdeep, as Shiva, is seen in a new rugged avatar, playing the role of an unethical journalist. He performs really well, especially showcasing instances that reveal that he has a good side deep down, but life has changed him into the selfish person that he is today. Bindu Madhavi, as Neela, does justice to the role given to her. Although her screen presence is limited, she delivers a neat and measured performance. All the other supporting characters deliver decent performances. Newsenese is not just about Shiva but encompasses multiple characters and narratives.

Newsense is directed pretty well, keeping in mind that it is set in and based on the events of 2003. Director Sri Parwin Kumar has done an excellent job of making the plot relatable, even in today's scenario. To be honest, not much has changed given that corrupt politicians, police officials, and unethical media haven’t truly been eradicated. The director has done a good job showing the ugly side of the media.

Back in the early 2000s, we were heavily relying on print media, and broadcast media was still developing. The director explains how influential the media is but sometimes fails to use its power for the right reasons, which ends up causing misery to the innocent public. Newsense in some scenes can be gut-wrenching and make us question our conscience and the complicated world that we live in today.

Suggested reading: Sonali Bendre To Make OTT Debut With Web Series ‘The Broken News’

Views expressed by the author are their own.