Despatch Full Movie 2024 Review

Director: Kanu Behl
Writers: Ishani BanerjeeKanu Behl
Stars: Manoj BajpayeeArrchita AgarwaalShahana Goswami

The story revolves around a crime journalist Joy (played by Manoj Bajpayee) who works at a newspaper called Despatch. The film begins with the focus on ‘digital first, print later’ philosophy which is taking over newsrooms, given the consumption of news on the move. He is looking for his next big exclusive. We are also introduced to his personal life which is in tatters – he is in love with Prerna (Arrchita Agarwaal). The two are having an affair as Joy prepares to divorce his wife Shweta (Shahana Goswami). Amidst all this, Joy gets a whiff of a story about a big scam, one which holds the potential to rock the country. There’s underworld, cops… everything thrown into the mix here.

But the drama elaborates itself. A lot. The chase, the many people Joy has to deal with – you lose touch with the film because you are left keeping up with who is who. JRD, a cricket tournament, shell companies, money laundering… one goes in expecting an edge of the seat thriller, but the product is all about the drama within our lives rather than stunt sequences or showdowns.

Joy does everything that is demanded of the genre. Being a veteran journalist, he has his foot in every nook and corner of the city. He works covertly with the police and trails them to gangster dens, only to almost get killed in the ensuing gunfire. In a hilarious scene, he enters a company building pretending to be the auditor so as to collect evidence for a scam he is uncovering. It unfolds with him running from door to door, evading security guards through his awkward maneuvers. Joy seems more like an accidental protagonist of the film. The writers Ishani Banerjee and Kanu treat him indifferently.

The film becomes more like a character study of Joy as the camera observes him from a distance, not giving us moments to empathise. Kanu makes the narrative linger a lot without having a central idea to fall back on. A long, roughly enacted and uncomfortable sex scene between Joy and Shweta becomes a gateway to understanding the sheer lack of love in their relationship. Kanu brings a decisive sense of ugliness to these scenes as the camera sneaks closer to the character’s faces as they try to snuggle and kiss. It goes beyond what is expected, often breaking the cinematic illusion.

The story unfolds effectively, transitioning from smuggling and contract killing to a high-stakes murder of a vigilance officer and stolen papers. The viewer remains invested as the screenplay crafts intrigue and intricate drama, incorporating a 2G tapes leak with Joy at its center, despite warnings from others, including journalist Noori (Rii Sen). The film convincingly portrays the world of exclusives and breaking news, highlighting how crime journalists navigate complex relationships with informers and sources, where information can be a matter of life and death.

Despatch Full Movie 2024 Review Conclusion

This was not to be for the film to have any value in the end

Because (JAY) got some peace in his life as a whole, only to bring the Gote incident to people’s attention

He gave up everything but was killed in the end

In my opinion, the film should not have ended like this