Reporting Live director Dhruv Tripathi calls Parineeti Chopra, Deven Bhojani the film’s soul

Deven Bhojani and Parineeti Chopra in ‘Reporting Live’

After years of fielding journalists' questions, Parineeti Chopra has stepped into their shoes. In Reporting Live, the actor plays journalist Sandhya Yadav, who, alongside cameraman Vinod Sharma (Deven Bhojani), uncovers evidence of an illegal sand-mining syndicate. Director Dhruv Tripathi, who makes his feature film debut with the investigative thriller, says the screenplay allows audiences to experience the investigation alongside the two reporters. "They're the ones carrying the film throughout," he says, describing Chopra and Bhojani as the soul of the Netflix thriller.

Tripathi believes Chopra's honesty and sense of responsibility towards the character made her the right fit. "[Before filming] she had already thought of her character, its ambitions, and curious [nature]. Her understanding of scenes and characters made her right for the role," adds the filmmaker, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mihir Jadhav.

Dhruv Tripathi

The ensemble cast, featuring Amol Palekar, Shekhar Suman, Adil Hussain, Saswata Chatterjee, and Pitobash, among others, helps build the newsroom's world. "There is no side character. Every character thinks they are the protagonist of their life," he says.

The writers spent two years researching illegal sand mining, uncovering accounts of journalists, police officers, and IAS officers who faced threats, and in some cases, were killed for exposing the nexus. The experience left a lasting impact on Tripathi. "Something broke in me when I saw those incidents," he recalls. Rather than focusing solely on newsroom anchors, Reporting Live pays tribute to field reporters and camera crews who risk their lives to uncover the truth. "This thriller, so to say, is a hat tip to these ordinary heroes." Tripathi believes that nowadays "truth has become a commodity that can be shaped". "It's all about narratives today. But there are still people who can take a phone and report something, and find it in themselves to push back [power] to discover the [hidden] truth and get it out."

Oct 9
Streaming date of ‘Reporting Live'

Projects based on journalism

. ‘New Delhi Times'

. ‘Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani'

. ‘Nayak: The Real Hero'

. ‘Page 3'

. ‘Rann'

. ‘Tere Bin Laden'

. ‘No One Killed Jessica'

. ‘Bhakshak'