Rating: 1.5/5
By Sonu Tyagi
After 24 years of working in journalism, media, and the film industry, I’ve witnessed movies that shock, movies that amaze, and movies that simply confuse. Despatch, directed by Kanu Behl and streaming on Zee5, unfortunately falls into a fourth category—a baffling headache-inducing experience that tests your patience and sanity.
Starring Manoj Bajpayee—an actor of immense talent—this film reduces him to an unnecessary portrayal of nudity and bizarre sequences that add absolutely nothing to the narrative. Bajpayee plays a journalist tangled in a convoluted world of crime, politics, and betrayal, working for a fictional newspaper named Despatch. What could have been an intriguing thriller ends up being an indecipherable mess.
A Story That Doesn’t Exist
The film’s plot (if one can even call it that) is nearly impossible to follow. Kanu Behl attempts to take viewers through the underbelly of investigative journalism, but instead, we’re dragged into a whirlwind of disconnected scenes, sluggish pacing, and head-scratching dialogues. It feels as though the movie didn’t know what it wanted to be—a noir thriller, an intellectual commentary, or something else entirely.
Bajpayee’s character is caught between exposing conspiracies and grappling with his own dilemmas, but none of it translates into anything meaningful on-screen. The story lacks coherence, the characters lack depth, and most importantly, there is no emotional connection to any part of the film.
Unnecessary Boldness
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room—the forced nudity and so-called bold content. If Despatch wanted to push boundaries, it did so in the most unproductive way possible. The nudity seems gratuitous, the adult themes unnecessary, and the execution lazy. If you’re going to make such content, at least back it up with a story that keeps the audience engaged.
Instead, we’re left asking: Why? Why was Manoj Bajpayee subjected to these poorly justified sequences? Why did the film feel like it was trying so hard to be edgy without a shred of creativity?
Technical Aspects
The cinematography and production design, though passable, cannot save this disaster. The dark and gritty visuals fail to create any suspense because the storytelling itself lacks focus. The editing is jarring, leaving scenes hanging with no sense of rhythm or resolution. Background music, meant to amplify tension, ends up being as confusing as the script.
Dimaag Ki Dahi
Watching Despatch feels less like experiencing a film and more like enduring an ordeal. It’s the kind of movie that will leave you reaching for a headache tablet first and, perhaps ironically, something light and entertaining later—like xxx films that at least know their purpose. Despatch tries to be smart but ends up being pretentious and painfully boring.
Final Thoughts
Kanu Behl’s Despatch is a classic example of wasted potential. With a brilliant actor like Manoj Bajpayee and the premise of investigative journalism, this film had all the ingredients to deliver a gripping thriller. Instead, it delivers confusion, frustration, and dimaag ki dahi.
If you value your time and sanity, skip this one.
Check the full review on Approach Bollywood. Download the Approach Bollywood app on Playstore or visit us at www.approachbollywood.com for more honest reviews and the latest updates on Bollywood films.
