As The Broken News, headlined by Sonali Bendre, drops its second season on Zee5, Akshay Oberoi enters the newsroom of one of the two warring news channels. A t2 chat with the actor who started the year with Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter.

Your character is a new entry in the second season.

Yes. My character Rajat Sabharwal, or Ronnie, has just returned after being in the US for a long time. He has joined as the CEO of the news channel Awaaz Bharati, where Sonali Bendre and Shriya Pilgaonkar work. He is not what meets the eye. There’s a lot going on with him behind the scene. Such characters are fun to play as they are layered and complex.

The two channels in the series are at two ends of the ideological spectrum of news presentation — credibility and sensationalism. If Ronnie is asked to choose between sansani and sach, which would be choose?

(Laughs) Ronnie would give one answer to your face and say the opposite behind your back. There’s a word ‘dalbadlu’. That’s what he is. He is a capitalist at heart. For him, bottomline is above all else. His answer will depend on what is convenient for business.

Does he get into a confrontation with Sonali Bendre, the upright editor of the channel?

Not at all. Smooth-talking businessmen avoid confrontation, especially when they enter a business. They want to win people over before they go about doing what they need to do. Even if he has an agenda, he would show his cards much later.

Press, the British show on which this is based, lasted just one season. So is the second season an original story?

Yes. They did not get renewed for a second season. They did not do as well as we did in India. So it is an entirely original script.

Are you a third point in the tussle between Sonali Bendre of Awaaz Bharati and Jaideep Ahlawat of Josh 24x7?

My character is playing a chess game of his own, independent of the struggle between them. That struggle is there all over the world. Different media outlets cater to different political agendas. Within the system, some try to report news honestly but that does not always sit well with the powers that be.

What is your take on the first season of The Broken News?

I had already worked with the director, Vinay Waikul, in a web series called The Test Case. It was his first project. Then he did a bunch of stuff (web series Mission Over Mars, Aranyak). On seeing The Broken News, I had thought: “Wow, Vinay’s craft is improving!” The story was gripping.

In The Test Case, which involved military combat, you had to train to look credible in uniform. Was there any preparation for this show?

Even for Fighter, I had to work on the body language of an air force pilot. You can’t walk in blind to any role. Ronnie Sabharwal is suave, US-educated and exposed to the world. There is a cadence and ease in the way such a character speaks. He has that flair that makes people think: “Duniya dekhi hogi, must have been on Wall Street….” I hate formal clothing. But to play Ronnie, I had to look at ease in a suit.

Did your upbringing in the US help?

Yes, Vinay knew that and wanted me to add my American accent. I have never used it so far as I play Indian characters. This is the first time.

Will you ask your friends in the US to watch it?

I don’t force them to watch my work. But all my friends in America, be it from high school or middle school, have watched Fighter. Even a couple of American buddies spotted me (on posters) at AMC Time Square (in New York) and jumped in to watch the film. A big film like that catches eyeballs.

Which would be the biggest project in your career — Fighter or Gurgaon?

These are the pivotal roles in my career. One gave me credibility and the other visibility. Both are integral. You cannot function in the complex world of Hindi cinema unless you have a balance of both.

You have worked with several senior actors. Who left an impression on you?

I learn from everyone. But if I have to mention one, it is Anil Kapoor. I have met him at many points of my career — Selection Day, Ek Ladki ko Dekha toh Aisa Laga, Thar, Fighter. My goal is to survive. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. When you see him you understand how that man has survived four decades. I have learnt a lot by doing that. I want to be in this business till I can stand on my feet and deliver dialogues.