Dhruv Tripathi seems to operate between conflicting sensibilities: he wants to be sincere, yet his mode of communication comes across as artificial and flimsy.
Beneath Dhruv Tripathi’s film *Reporting Live* lies a promising work that occasionally surfaces to address the physical dangers inherent in the journalistic profession. Sandhya (Parineeti Chopra) and her best friend, colleague, and cameraman, Vinod (Deven Bhojani), spend most of their time in the field—talking to civilians, interviewing shady characters, and filming illegal activities. This exposes them to thugs, including a man who turns on the radio before killing or harassing his victims. At a bus stop in Visargaon, this individual intimidates and assaults Sandhya and Vinod; later, he is shown invading their private space to deliver a more severe warning.
Director: Dhruv Tripathi
Writers: Mihir Jadhav, Dhruv Tripathi
Stars: Deven Bhojani, Saswata Chatterjee, Parineeti Chopra
Tripathi and his co-writer, Mihir Jadhav, posit that journalism is no easy task. The profession entails significant risks, not only for the journalists themselves but also for their families. Yet, consider Sandhya and Vinod after the bus stop assault: they appear laughing at Vinod’s home, as if they were thoroughly accustomed to such situations. They are cheerful and elated, having uncovered the truth and secured all the evidence needed for a hard-hitting story. In short, Sandhya and Vinod are meant to be true journalists—people who value the truth above their own lives.
It also helps that Chopra and Bhojani share a pleasant, natural chemistry. I particularly liked the scene where, following a professional falling-out, Sandhya visits Vinod’s home after several weeks; their initial conversation is quiet and conciliatory. Their tone carries a subtext that whispers: "I’ve missed you so much, you silly man." Had Tripathi dispensed with the subplots involving corruption, scandals, and newsroom politics, and instead poured all his energy into crafting a story of friendship, he might have created a moving film. Unfortunately, Tripathi harbors grand ambitions.
He is as determined as the two journalists in *Reporting Live*; consequently, he tackles scandals involving land grabbing, collapsing bridges, superstition, and illegal sand mining—all linked to a powerful construction tycoon who owns Golden Sky (fun fact: R. Velraj is the name of both the villainous tycoon and the film’s cinematographer). It is a classic case of too many ingredients spoiling the dish. Instead of cultivating intimacy and tragedy, Tripathi drags us through sweeping narrative twists that rely excessively on background music to heighten the drama of certain scenes.
We hear triumphant music when the news channel Azaad Bharati cracks the illegal sand mining case for the first time. The soundscape turns intensely tense when a little girl goes missing, then becomes grim upon the discovery of a dog hanging from the ceiling. Tripathi’s cinematic style—reminiscent of short YouTube videos—is also evident in his simplistic worldview and political approach: a news report goes viral almost instantly, a tycoon is publicly humiliated, and the public quickly takes to the streets to demand justice.
I almost expected a fourth-wall-breaking monologue from Sandhya about the power of honest journalism, but Tripathi settles for a song that breaks the fourth wall, inviting us to become both a *mashaal* (torch) and a *mishaal* (example), all while the camera lingers on two dead bodies. Part of Tripathi wants to be realistic and say, "The truth consumes you and can even cost you your life," while another part inhabits a cinematic world where characters can move among individuals involved in illegal activities undetected—until the plot demands otherwise. They also manage to escape with suspicious ease. Tripathi seems to operate with conflicting sensibilities: he wants to be sincere, yet his way of communicating comes across as artificial and flimsy.
Was this originally conceived as a series? Did the radio-listening thug have more screen time before the material was condensed into a film? His disappearance after just two scenes—in which he "oozed menace"—makes one wonder if an entire subplot was left on the cutting room floor. Perhaps an investigative journalist needs to be called in to solve this mystery. No, it is no longer possible to contact Sandhya and Vinod. They have answered to the Creator for a job well done. Sadly, these honest reporters will no longer be reporting live. Rest in peace.
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