MOVIE REVIEW: BREAKING NEWS (2006)

Starring : Koel Puri, Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh, Vinay Apte, Harsh Chhaya, Swati Sen, Atul Parchure, Vandana Gupte, Virendra Saxena, Shishir Sharma, Nandita Puri, Tanushree, Anita Wahi, Dhananjay Mandrekar, Vijay Patwardhan, Rahul Vohra.
Director : Vishal Inamdar
Producer : Shreyas Mhaskar
Music Dir : Kaushal Inamdar

It is believed that 'Media' is the forth pillar of democracy. Journalism began as a mission, then a service and now merely a profession -- a complete Business where a struggle is not to get right news but rather to 'generate' one, crammed with glamour and sensation. The film endeavors to uncover the darker side of the famous or infamous sting operations where a news correspondent Vidya falls in the 'chakravyu' of the whole business and finally paves her way out to yet another 'chakravyu'. The film narrates the story of a girl who initially is acknowledged when she is one among the corrupt system and discarded and criticized when she starts rebelling.

Vidya is a young, dynamic, self-motivated news correspondent, who has just come out of a journalism course and is all charged to take up confrontations of this profession. But, little did she know that it is not as effortless job as it is perceived. Vidya initially is covering the entertainment beat and is contended with her piece of work. But due to certain shuffles she is forced to quit entertainment and cover crime, which she presumes as not her cup of tea. Gradually, she gets a knack of it and starts getting addicted to the thrill and ecstasy of the job. She gets a brilliant story for her channel all the way from Rajasthan along with her teammates, which actually boosts the TRP ratings of the channel and also her morale. In the process, or rather, in the quest for the thrill, she even tries to fool around with the so-called ethics and codes of journalism by creating situations to get a story for her channel.

One fine day she receives a call, that later changes her overall approach towards this profession. It is a call from a girl, Sangeeta, from Pune, who is a victim of repeated sexual abuses by the high designators of the local police. Vidya, with her team, chalks out a plan for yet another sting and is all ready to cover the event where the SP is assaulting Sangeeta. But unfortunately it is the DIG who is fallen prey to their sting. The whole episode of 'live rape' disconcerts Vidya and her cameraman Rafiq to an extent that they feel ashamed to be merely a spectator in this profession where they couldn't even save the victim. But this event is not less than a celebration to the news channel where this 'Breaking news' will be their USP.

Vidya has committed Sangeeta that this footage will not be telecast but rather be kept for her defense in court. Unfortunately, Vidya is traumatized to see the telecast of the whole footage 'as it is' in her news channel irrespective of her caution to the editor. Bugged with the whole system, she leaves for her uncle's place that had been insisting her to visit his small press. There she apprehends the genuine power and nuance of journalism and gets the spur to fight back the system. With her is a close friend Bala [a crime correspondent in rival channel], Rafiq [the cameraman] and Trishna [her batch mate in journalism course], who differ in their ideologies and yet are together. This is the time when she gets emotionally attached to the whole ball game and decides to give the victim justice. In her fight for justice she faces all the ups and downs but all in vein, leaving Vidya in utter despair and gloom.

Can Vidya find justice for Sangeeta? Will Vidya survive in this business? Will she be able to amend this rigid system? Or will she be one amongst the fraudulent minds? The answer lies in the silver screen.

RS Predicted Rating: 3/10

EROS

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