The intricacies that are set to threaten the life of crime reporter Joy Bag (Manoj Bajpayee) are hinted at in two of Despatch’s opening sequences. In the first, he finds his wife Shweta (Shahana Goswami) having a great time partying with friends after a long day at work. Inebriated, one of the guests tries to force him to eat a pizza. Joy loses her temper and rushes out of the house. The protagonist tries to apprehend and collect information from a small-time mobster, but they end up fighting in the other scene. A police officer apprehends the offender, but not before giving the investigative journalist a bloodied nose.
Whether at home or in the wider world he lives and works in, it is clear that nothing is easy for the brooding newshound. Both are undergoing significant change. Joy’s precarious marriage is a reflection of the shifting media world. The seasoned print media professional is resolved not to let the transition make him obsolete as the news distribution industry shifts to digital and his newspaper changes hands. He pledges to produce two scoops at once: one about the daytime murder of a money smuggler and the other about a swindle involving a dubious corporate organisation.
Joy is also about to take a break from the past on a personal level. Although his wife Shweta has not given up, his marriage has all but fallen apart, and he intends to move in with Prerna Prakash (Arrchita Agarwal), who is an editorial partner on his next novel. It’s easier said than done, though. There will inevitably be difficulties in the divorce negotiations and in finding an apartment with his fiancée. Despatch is a slow-burning criminal drama that was directed by Kanu Behl from a screenplay that he and Ishani Banerjee co-wrote. It’s also a really insightful character analysis. Although it moves a little slowly, its examination of the dynamics of news gathering in a corrupted world of greed and corruption is powerful and captivating.
Despatch addresses corporate corruption, media collusion, and the predicament of an unyielding journalist pursuing crooks of all sizes while simultaneously analysing the character and extent of a financial scandal that Joy Bag is trying to uncover. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala and available on Zed5, the tonally sombre Despatch features cops and gangsters, but its attention on themes makes it far more complicated than a typical neo-noir thriller. Although it does not do as well as Bahl’s Titli and Agra, it is nonetheless a strong and insightful examination of a profession in crisis and a life in the doldrums.
Joy, a flawed man who runs the risk of changing from observer to victim and from pursuer to pursued, plunges headfirst into a confusing world where having too much knowledge might lead to problems. He has outlived his golden years. The environment in which he flourished is no longer there. His life and limb are no longer protected by what he sees, hears, and learns while performing his duties. He searches for riddles that are concealed beneath layers of dishonesty and rudeness, but he keeps getting lost and confused. He responds, “Main khali journalist hoon (I am only a journalist),” after being cautioned that he could have taken on more than he can handle.
Joy’s weak, helpless protestation reminds us of a time when the distinction between an impartial reporter and an active participant was much clearer. He enlists the aid of a single mother, Noori Rai (Rii Sen), a former criminal who has turned into a tough, independent-minded journalist with enviable ties in the underworld, in his attempt to expose the enigmatic owner of a secretive corporate corporation. Because he is dealing with stolen files and secret tapes, telecom spectrum and T20 cricket league frauds, a network of shell firms in tax havens, and prominent fugitives making decisions from their hideouts around the globe, Joy needs all the assistance he can get.
Information is the most reliable source of power and the strongest money in this universe. However, the power has shifted significantly from those who want to understand the story for the benefit of everyone to those who want to control it for their own gain. The video examines how a journalist’s pursuit of the truth intersects with the effects of the world he is a part of, whether consciously or unconsciously. Despatch is similar to Behl’s first two films in this way. Titli examines how a family trying to make ends meet on the outskirts of a metropolis that is constantly expanding is affected by uneven urban growth. In Agra, a young guy struggles to find his own place in a harsh environment. Joy Bag is battling for room as well, but in a symbolic way. He struggles to save what he has acquired during a lifetime of employment in Mumbai’s criminal underworld, whose wrongdoings he has concealed for years.
As strong an anchor as any movie has ever had, Bajpayee is a former master of restraint. He gives a faultless performance. It is meticulously monitored, even down to the smallest gestures and facial expressions. He develops a character who amazes, captivates, and arouses empathy by portraying a troubled person whose personal life is as twisted as the tales he seeks.
Rii Sen, an investigative reporter who lives life on her own terms, Arrchita Agarwal, the journalist’s girlfriend, and Shahana Goswami, the journalist’s estranged wife, all provide excellent supporting performances that highlight the male protagonist’s inherent virtues and shortcomings.
A shot of Joy via a glass partition perfectly captures his current situation in life and the direction of the movie. In what appears to be a shaky, almost opaque mist, we see him and his shadow on the wall behind him. The filmmaker aims to achieve the same effect with the entire film as Siddharth Diwan’s camera did in this specific scene of Despatch.
Joy’s compulsions, dilemmas, and inclinations are not boldly shown in Behl’s film by design. And that, above all, is what makes Despatch a masterful account of a slow death predicted—of a shady character and the style of journalism he has cultivated over his career. For those who have had enough of Pushpa’s chaos, Despatch is the movie for you.
