The film’s very title, Reporting Live, hints at its subject matter. Naturally, where there is reporting, crime is bound to follow—a combination we have frequently witnessed on both the big and small screens. However, despite its solid premise, the film falls short of capturing the emotional resonance, gravity, and ability to truly captivate the audience.
Illegal Sand Mining Storyline
Set in the fictional town of Visargapn, the film follows rookie reporter Sandhya Yadav (Parineeti Chopra) and her reluctant cameraman, Vinod Sharma (Deven Bhojani). While hunting for a major breaking news story, they find an opportunity after a bridge collapses in the town, leading to the death of innocent children in a bus as it falls into the river.
What initially appears to be a tragedy ultimately turns out to be a big conspiracy. The reporter and cameraman stumble upon an illegal sand-mining racket run by a powerful, dangerous mafia—a discovery that lands them both in serious trouble as they dig deeper.
Direction
A film that intertwines journalism with crime—specifically the issue of sand mining—requires a nuanced on-screen approach, and director Dhruv Tripathi succeeds admirably. He does not drag out the film; instead, he handles it with care and precision.
Screenplay
A thriller film needs a strong screenplay, but this one offers nothing particularly extraordinary. The story feels familiar, but the film explores illegal mining, financial networks, crime, and power effectively. This works in the film’s favor.
The good part about the film is that the director understands the story’s gravity but fails to convey it effectively to the audience. Even with its emotional moments, it lacks that touch that truly resonates with the heart.
While it is a good film, by modern standards, everything feels like something we have already seen and understood, which diminishes the film’s impact. There are new twists, but they don’t quite live up to expectations.
Performances
Parineeti Chopra returned to the screen as a victimized mother in her previous project, Shaque, and her avatar as a journalist is equally appealing. She carried the essence of journalism and fear, yet explored the depth with conviction.
Elevating the experience with Parineeti was Deven Bhojani, who tickled our funny bones as Kuku in Chumbak; he is a surprise here. Well, not truly—the actor is known for slips into different characters effortlessly, and this one is no exception.
Amol Palekar as the informant Shiva Kaka portrays the character with sincerity, while Adil Hussain is impressive. Shekhar Suman, Saswata Chatterjee, Pitobash Tripathy, and Sameer Kocchar form a strong supporting cast, without whom the experience couldn’t have worked.
Reporting Live works with a familiar premise. Yet, its exploration of illegal mining, power, and politics piques interest despite its flaws. While it may not be a cinematic masterpiece, it is certainly a film worth watching at least once.
Partha Kiran Thakur and Joshua Shirsath produced the film, backed by Old Monk Entertainment.
Our Editorial Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
