<p>‘Headless Body in Topless Bar’ — the eyeball-grabbing headline from the New York Post is plastered on the walls of Despatch, the newspaper where Joy Bag (Manoj Bajpayee) works as a crime reporter.</p>.<p>Dark humour pervades Kanu Behl’s latest film set in 2012, where print journalists scramble to stay relevant as news transitions to digital.</p>.<p>Joy (who ironically finds joy only in sex and exclusives) is always on the hunt for sensational cases that will keep his byline on the front page for a few weeks. His marriage is falling apart, and the only thing keeping him ticking is his passion for breaking stories.</p>.<p>But ‘Despatch’ feels more like a character study in moral gymnastics than a crime drama. Joy and the women he beds are all in ethical limbo, using each other as career catapults. </p>.<p>No wonder the viewer feels little sympathy for the protagonist, who soon finds himself caught between the D-company and the Rajan gang while chasing the next big story on the 2G scam and the murky deals of T20.</p>.<p>While Bajpayee plays the flawed, messy, hormone-driven man with raw expression, his search for a missing file brings out a parade of predators and prey, making the drama increasingly confusing with every new lead.</p>.<p>But despite the lack of criminal intrigue, it’s the sinister depths of human behaviour that makes ‘Despatch’ an uncomfortably engaging watch.</p>
<p>‘Headless Body in Topless Bar’ — the eyeball-grabbing headline from the New York Post is plastered on the walls of Despatch, the newspaper where Joy Bag (Manoj Bajpayee) works as a crime reporter.</p>.<p>Dark humour pervades Kanu Behl’s latest film set in 2012, where print journalists scramble to stay relevant as news transitions to digital.</p>.<p>Joy (who ironically finds joy only in sex and exclusives) is always on the hunt for sensational cases that will keep his byline on the front page for a few weeks. His marriage is falling apart, and the only thing keeping him ticking is his passion for breaking stories.</p>.<p>But ‘Despatch’ feels more like a character study in moral gymnastics than a crime drama. Joy and the women he beds are all in ethical limbo, using each other as career catapults. </p>.<p>No wonder the viewer feels little sympathy for the protagonist, who soon finds himself caught between the D-company and the Rajan gang while chasing the next big story on the 2G scam and the murky deals of T20.</p>.<p>While Bajpayee plays the flawed, messy, hormone-driven man with raw expression, his search for a missing file brings out a parade of predators and prey, making the drama increasingly confusing with every new lead.</p>.<p>But despite the lack of criminal intrigue, it’s the sinister depths of human behaviour that makes ‘Despatch’ an uncomfortably engaging watch.</p>