Parineeti Chopra's film 'Reporting Live' tries to show illegal sand mining, corporate pressure and challenges of journalism. The performances of Adil Hussain and Shekhar Suman impress, but due to weak writing, superficial research and slow pace, the film misses out on becoming an effective investigative thriller.
Tezzbuzz Desk There is no dearth of films based on journalism in Hindi cinema, but such stories are rarely seen which can show everything from newsroom politics to the risks of field reporting close to reality. 'Reporting Live' has also brought the story of this world. In the film, Parineeti Chopra plays the role of 'Azad Bharti' channel reporter Sandhya Yadav, who tries to expose a big scam. The theme of the film is strong, but the question is whether its story can keep the audience engaged?
What is the story of the film?
The story of 'Reporting Live' revolves around Sandhya Yadav and her trusted cameraman Vinod. Both work in a Hindi news channel in Mumbai. Sandhya's dream is to make her place in prime time and move ahead in her career. His life changes when a bridge collapse occurs in a rural area of Maharashtra.
Sandhya and Vinod reach the spot to investigate the incident. During the investigation they uncover a huge network of illegal sand mining, which is linked to builders, industrialists and influential people of the corporate world. Sandhya decides to expose the entire affair, but soon faces threats, murders of witnesses and attempts to suppress the news within her own channel.
An attempt has been made in the story to show the conflict between corruption, power and journalism. However, despite having a strong subject, its presentation becomes weak at many places.
How is the movie?
Expect thrill, tension and constantly changing developments in the film based on investigative journalism. 'Reporting Live' starts with a serious incident, but some scenes seem so artificial that the impact of the story becomes weak.
Sandhya's character exudes the restlessness and lack of professional understanding of an experienced TV reporter. On many occasions his behavior seems as if he does not have enough experience of the ground challenges of journalism. Scenes like him calling himself a documentary maker while shooting in a mafia area also raise questions on the credibility of the story.
Another major weakness of the film is that the complexities of journalism are shown to be solved too easily. The kind of depth and reality that is expected from a film made on serious subjects is not completely visible here.
Where was the mistake in direction and writing?
The lack of nuances in the script of the film is clearly felt. The use of traditional yellow-brown colors to depict the rural areas and the old methods of making the villains appear menacing make the story cliché.
The functioning of the newsroom also appears superficial in many places. Broadcasting a big news live without adequate preparation or bypassing security and verification processes in sensitive matters reduces the credibility of the film.
Dialogues also seem excessively bookish at many places. Instead of effectively raising serious issues like journalistic ethics and corporate pressure, the film sometimes resorts to melodrama. This is the reason why the tension of the story cannot be maintained continuously.
Who influenced you in acting?
In terms of acting, Adil Hussain and Shekhar Suman impress the most. Adil Hussain plays the executive editor, who is torn between the pressures of the channel's corporate owners and the values of journalism. A glimpse of moral conflict and professional compulsion can be seen in his character.
At the same time, Shekhar Suman gives a measured performance as a corporate boss. His character shows how business interests can influence the direction and priorities of news.
Parineeti Chopra also tries to play the character of Sandhya Yadav, but due to weak writing her character does not become as effective as was required for this story. Amol Palekar maintains spontaneity and dignity in his small character.
See it or not?
'Reporting Live' is not one of those films which keep the audience engaged from beginning to end. Due to the slow pace of the story and weak developments at many places, attention may get distracted while watching it. The film had the potential to be a powerful investigative thriller, but the weak script and superficial presentation ruined it.
If you like stories based on journalism, corporate pressure and corruption, then you can give it a watch for the acting of the actors. However, if you are expecting a thriller full of excitement, fast pace and shocking revelations, the film may disappoint you.
Overall, the story idea of 'Reporting Live' is good, but its execution is weak. This film definitely touches upon the challenges of journalism, but does not succeed in bringing them on screen with depth and impact.