Sonali Bendre on ‘The Broken News’: These are not stories that are told very often

Actor Sonali Bendre on venturing into the streaming space with the Indian adaptation of British television drama ‘Press,’ which focuses on two rival newsrooms

All set to make her digital debut with ZEE5’s  The Broken News, Sonali Bendre is looking forward to returning to fictional television after almost seven years. “I am very excited about the kind of stories that are being told,” Bendre says over a Zoom call.

An adaptation of the British series  Press, The Broken News focuses on two rival Indian newsrooms. “These are not stories that are told very often,” says Sonali, who plays Amina Qureshi, an editor-in-chief, heading the Awaaz Bharati news channel.

She confesses that she loves the fact that her character runs the newsroom. “If I am going to do fiction, if I am going to act, then the roles that I want are of characters that have a strong voice. I want to tell stories that have hope in them,” she says, of her decision to take up this role.

Seen last in Balaji Telefilms’  Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye (2014) , Sonali may have taken a step back from fictional roles, but never really left television screens. Appearing as a judge in shows like  India’s Best Dramebaaz (2013-16), and  Super Dancer (2021), she describes reality shows as a platform where she can voice her views freely. However, playing different characters is what she likes best. “I want to move to new avenues. I don’t want to keep doing the same thing,” she says, adding that streaming platforms give her this varied choice of characters to play from.

With  The Broken News, she  was also testing the waters. Wanting to see how this venture goes, Bendre admits that she was being a bit cautious, taking it one step at a time.

Streaming platforms have undeniably widened the scope of roles being offered to female actors, and for Sonali, this perfectly aligns with how she views her future in the industry. “I am done with being a 20-year-old,” she says, adding that she wants her craft to be as respected as her age. “I always say that the lines on my face are the stripes which I have earned; I am proud of them and have lived a life to earn them, and I don’t want to deny the fact that I have lived that life. I evolved from it, and that’s been my learning.”

Besides being a unique character, the show’s premise itself was a catalyst in convincing Bendre to take up the role. Against the present-day backdrop,  The Broken News, directed by Vinay Waikul, promises to be a newsroom drama that sheds light on the growing plague of fake news, as the characters walk the tightrope of presenting truth versus peddling sensationalism.