For Shriya Pilgaonkar, onus lies on news consumers to separate fact from fiction

Actress Shriya Pilgaonkar, who is set to return with her role of journalist Radha Bhargava in Season 2 of the streaming series 'The Broken News’, has said that amidst the alarming rise in the usage of deepfake and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the onus also lies on people who consume news.

The actress said that the series stresses the fact that news consumption cannot be a one-way traffic. The ones who are consuming the news also have to be aware of AI and should verify news from their end as well.

The actress told IANS: “This season explores different themes in the world of news reporting that are so relevant. One of them is fake news and how easy it is for sensationalised stories to spread faster than actual truth and facts. Given the recent alarming incidents of the Deepfakes, it raises concerns about misinformation and trust in the media.”

“Today, we can’t afford to blindly believe everything we read on social media without fact-checking from multiple sources because of how common fake news has become. Our series addresses the fact that the onus also lies on people consuming news to make sure that they discern fact from fiction.”

He also spoke about her character Radha, saying that in the second season of the show, Radha will be seen avenging the false accusations against her.

She told IANS: “The character arc of Radha takes an unpredictable turn as she is determined to avenge the false accusations and her being unfairly maligned by the press, particularly Dipankar played by Jaideep Alhawat. As an actor, the process of exploring this inner conflict was both intense and exhilarating. I enjoy playing characters that are on the edge and creating that dynamic with an actor like Jaideep was extremely fulfilling.”

“I love a good challenge and the experience of shooting for Season 2 has been super thrilling and a challenge because of the many layers and complexities that unfold in my character. I loved every bit of the process and also learnt a whole lot about the world of news reporting”, she added.

'The Broken News 2' drops on ZEE5 on May 3.