How Manoj Bajpayee prepared to play crime journalist in 'Despatch'
Acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee's latest film, Despatch, directed by Kanu Behl, was recently screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. The film is now set to release on the streaming platform ZEE5 next month. In Despatch, Bajpayee plays Joy—a veteran crime editor at a Mumbai tabloid who gets caught up in a high-stakes investigation while struggling with his relevance in today's digital age.
Bajpayee's preparation for the role
For his role in Despatch, Bajpayee relied on his vast network of investigative journalists. He said, "I have many very close friends who are investigative journalists from Delhi and from Mumbai, people who I have been meeting for many years to really understand the nature of their job...the conflict and the dichotomy that they live with" The film will be released on ZEE5 on December 13.
Bajpayee on 'Despatch': 'Undercurrent is of a thriller'
Bajpayee's character in Despatch explores a story of organized crime, political corruption, and corporate takeovers. The actor said, "Though it's undercurrent is of a thriller the way [Behl] has treated it is quite fascinating." "People are finding the whole approach of not really flowing with the events and focusing rather on those events actually inside the human being inside that character and in the darkness of his own personality which is far scarier than the events which are unfolding."
Bajpayee was intrigued by Behl's reputation as a challenging director
Despite being warned about Behl's reputation as a demanding director, Bajpayee was drawn to the script and the idea of working with him. He said, "Once I knew that the script is good, I wanted to just collaborate because everybody scared me about Kanu Behl...and the more people told me about, about the stories from the set, the more determined I became to work in this film."
