EXCLUSIVE | Zee5's 'The Broken News' actor Akshay Oberoi: 'I'm an outsider, OTT brought me in & I got a film like Fighter'

Many films have taken digs at the state of news anchoring today, especially that one man who’s now parodying himself and believes the nation still wants to know what he does. So it’s fitting that The Broken News has entered its season two since the battle is far from over. And in an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Akshay Oberoi spills the beans on the show now streaming on Zee5.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

What can we expect from your character in Season 2 of The Broken news?

It’s so hard to say about this character. Because if you say it too much, it will be easier to understand. That’s unfair to the thing. You know, it’s like I think how much they’ve shown you in the trailer is also… There’s a reason for it because the character is… I mean, there’s a… Let me just put it this way. There’s a lot more than what meets the… You know, the face. There’s a lot, there’s a twist. This character is a very interesting part.

What does the title mean to you?

I never thought about it. That’s a great question. You know, I think that news is broken. Because news comes with so much other… I mean, in a cap… Because we live in a capitalistic society. I mean, you as a journalist know better than me. There are certain mandates. I mean, even how we’re promoting the show. There are certain mandates based on how Zee wants to promote. And who will say what? And who will go where? And all those things. I mean, it’s all different. It’s sort of disfragmented. And that’s why it’s broken. It’s not actual news. Everything is not exactly what, you know, should be told the right way. So I think that’s a great title for that reason.

You are fresh of the success of Fighter and now The Broken News . What are the kind of characters and challenges that you’re looking forward to as an actor now?

I’ve never strategized in my entire career. And I’ve come this far without strategizing. And I feel like if I start strategizing… I go with my heart. I go with my instinct. Certain times it does well. Certain times like in the case of Fighters. Certain times it misfires. You know, and I’ve had a lot of misfires. But my job is to just keep getting better at what I do. And my logic is very simple. I want to get better at what I do and I want to work with great people. So I keep it very simple, you know. So there’s no other aspiration besides those two. So that’s what I’ll continue doing.

You know, sensationalism does bring the TRP, but when it comes to the entertainment industry, so many actors have been affected, so many actors have stepped away from interviews and all. So do you feel it is more of a loss at times that people have stepped away?

Yes. And sensationalism in general. Man, the more you chase the dollar or the rupee, the more you’re going to chase sensationalism, right? That’s just the way it works. And it’s really sad because it turns the world into very dark and, you know, hopeless place when money is everything. But that’s why we’re operating. So now I can’t… I don’t think it’s possible to tell people that this is not the way to think. But I have to operate in my own sort of world and my world is not that. People not giving interviews. I think those are the big stars. I don’t think they even need it. But anybody else needs the media as much as the media needs them.
So, you know, I will continue going out. And I’ve learned to embrace it. I think I was also kind of PR shy and media shy. For no reason. There was no reason. I think my own insecurity is crept up. I perceived media as a threat. I didn’t know how to interact. But I’ve realized it’s a very symbiotic relationship. It’s a very important relationship. And one must learn… It’s a skill set. Just like I’ve learned how to act over years and years of acting. I need to learn how to interact with the media and the press in a better way. There’s no excuse for it.

And what do you have to say about actors’ relationship with the OTT platform? The boom of OTT that we have seen in the last five years.

It’s a great for me. I would not have been in a fighter if I didn’t have the OTT. You know, I think the OTT made it more… sort of plot meritocracy into the industry. Before that, it was who do you know, who, which parties do you attend? Are you in the cool crowd? And I was never in the cool crowd. I was always sort of an outsider. The OTT brought me in. And people started taking notice. I thought, this is a good acting. And then I got a film like Fighter. It puts you on the map. So, you know, it’s been great for me. Currently, there’s a past, you know, because, you know, there was a boom. Lots of shows being made. Now there’s not as many shows being made. Budgets are being, you know, sort of constricted. People are also asking for stars to front shows, Which is unhealthy. i thought the OTT was kind of… But again, everything is money. So, you know, if they think that’s what’s going to sell the project, that’s what’s going to sell the project. So, you know, I hope that we go back to authentic casting,
things like that on the OTT space, because it really gave new directors, new writers, new actors a break and a chance. But again, everything is cyclic. So, you’ll come back. You know, that boom will come back. The money will return. And then people will say, y’all, this actor, we try to fit into this mold. It didn’t work because he has a large following. Let’s go with the authentic actor for… That’s when you get like a Pratik Gandhi in Scam. That’s the way casting needs to be done. Unfortunately, the powers that we don’t fully understand that.