Despatch

Review of DESPATCH: A Gripping Tale of Crime Journalism

DESPATCH is a captivating thriller that delves into the gritty world of crime journalism, inspired by the life of renowned crime beat journalist J. Dey (Jyotirmoy Dey), who was associated with the Mumbai tabloid Mid-Day. This fictionalized account offers a unique perspective on the challenges and dangers faced by investigative journalists.

The film stands out largely due to the stellar performance of Manoj Bajpayee, whose portrayal of the lead character is both compelling and layered. Supporting actors like Arrchita Aggarwal and Rituparna Sen deliver commendable performances, while character actors such as Haanssa Singh (as Nisha Lodha) and Kabir Sadanand bring depth to the narrative. However, the underutilization of a talented actor like Shahana Goswami in a relatively insignificant role is a missed opportunity.

The screenplay does an excellent job of exploring the struggles of traditional print media in the digital age, highlighting the pressures journalists face to produce authentic yet sensational stories that can dominate front pages for weeks. It also sheds light on the intricate network of informers and the personal risks these journalists take to uncover prime news.

While the film occasionally falters in its execution, its engaging storyline and standout performances make DESPATCH a worthwhile watch, particularly for those interested in the intersection of media, crime, and the human cost of bringing stories to light.

If you are a Manoj Bajpayee fan and expecting something similar to Family Man, Aiyaari, Silence, 100 etc. Then you will be disappointed. Very slow. Unnecessary vulgar scenes. When the story and presentation does not have spice, making vulgar scenes will never. In Short, Bakwaas. 3/10 is a higher star rating for this. Too many characters possibly trying make reality in movie. Sometimes, as an audience one may start thinking which character is the story referring to and feel just lost. I am a great fan of Manoj Bajpayee and have seen many of his top quality movies or series. This one is even worse than Bhaiyaji. I think Manoj Bajpayee is almost in the end of his era of lead roles. Manoj sir. You have an image in public mind. Please don't destroy it.

The movie fails to engage with the storyline, and I don't understand why Manoj Bajpayee was made to deliver his dialogues so slowly as if he had some kind of speech problem. I was very excited about this film, but honestly, I had to look up the scam it was based on to better understand it. In a nutshell, if you're not familiar with this scam, you won't be able to grasp the movie fully.

The movie fails to engage with the storyline, and I don't understand why Manoj Bajpayee was made to deliver his dialogues so slowly as if he had some kind of speech problem. I was very excited about this film, but honestly, I had to look up the scam it was based on to better understand it. In a nutshell, if you're not familiar with this scam, you won't be able to grasp the movie fully.

Despatch was a very pretty mixed experience. It draws inspiration from the crime journalism thrillers of Hollywood from the previous millennium and translates it well to an Indian setting and current era but at the same time somewhat alienates itself from Indian movie making stylistically by injecting it with some gratuitous (Almost) nudity that is irrelevant and not pertinent to the progression of the story. Not sure how the multiple shots of Manoj Bajpayee's bare backside adds an additional level of complexity and nuance to his character. Those scenes make the watching of the movie a bit uncomfortable without adding any real value.

Manoj Bajpayee does an overall good job but it feels like he is playing multiple inconsistent characters through the duration of the movie which is a bit on the longer side at 151 minutes. Kanu Behl should have either trimmed the story and focus on his failing relationship and made Despatch into a leaner and meaner 1.5 hr to 2 hr thriller or gone all out and explored the nuances of the various relationships and expanded this into a longer format mini series like Killer Soup earlier this year that would have given the stories more time and air to breath, mature and shape up better.

In my opinion the story and characters needed some more time. Individually the stories, relationships, characters and the acting are all good. Shahana, Arrchita, Rii are all pretty good in their respective roles and all deserved some more time. Overall Despatch is a good attempt at a underexplored genre in Hindi Cinema but it fails to live up to its potential. 6/10.

The film suffers from unnecessary adult scenes and a lack of connection between the stories. Manoj's dialogues are often hard to understand, not due to volume but poor voice clarity, making key moments frustrating. While natural delivery is appreciated, essential lines must remain audible. Additionally, the attempt to highlight the 2G Scam feels underwhelming; the narrative deserved a stronger, more coherent approach. Overall, the execution fails to engage effectively, leaving a lot to be desired in both storytelling and technical aspects. I dont know about other reviews who are saying it is great movie and all.