Reporting Live (2026)
Reporting Live Review: An Earnest Investigative Thriller That Struggles to Make Headlines
Reporting Live arrives with a subject that genuinely matters. Illegal sand mining is a sprawling, lucrative, and devastating racket that has rarely been explored in Hindi cinema, and director Dhruv Tripathi deserves credit for building his feature debut around it. The film follows an ambitious young reporter and her seasoned cameraman as they investigate a bridge collapse that killed schoolchildren, only to uncover a criminal network operating with the tacit approval of powerful interests. It is a story worth telling. Unfortunately, according to critics, the execution never quite lives up to the urgency of its premise.
The numbers reveal a film that has divided critics along a predictable fault line: those who value its social relevance and those who find its storytelling too conventional. On IMDb, Reporting Live holds a 6.0/10 rating, with user reviews praising its “tight, realistic, and incredibly gripping” depiction of investigative journalism while acknowledging that it “hits a few predictable thriller beats near the end” [citation:6]. Times of India awarded 3 out of 5 stars, writing that the film “raises an important question about the cost of exposing the truth, but never creates enough urgency to make that cost truly resonate” [citation:8]. Bollywood Hungama was similarly measured, giving 3 out of 5 and calling it “a hard-hitting drama that tackles the issue of illegal sand mining,” while noting that “some one-liners are childish” [citation:4].
The Indian Express‘s Shubhra Gupta was far harsher, awarding just 1.5 out of 5 and criticising the film’s writing, describing Parineeti Chopra’s performance as “one-note” and arguing that the film “remained too explanatory to become a gripping investigative drama” [citation:13]. Cinema Express gave it 2 out of 5, dismissing it as “journalism fantasy sans any depth or rigour” [citation:16]. India Today also gave 2.5 out of 5, noting that “its faith in honest reporting stands out, even as the drama struggles to build tension or emotional weight” [citation:18].
What most critics agree on is that the film’s heart is in the right place. Hindustan Times praised the newsroom atmosphere as “relatable” and free of “unnecessary glamourisation,” comparing it favourably to No One Killed Jessica in its depiction of journalistic stress [citation:15]. The performances, too, earned consistent praise. Deven Bhojani, in particular, was singled out as “wonderful” and “the film’s most engaging element,” bringing “warmth, restraint, and an understated humanity” to the role of cameraman Vinod Sharma [citation:11][citation:15]. Parineeti Chopra’s work was described as “convincing in parts” and “sincere,” though several reviewers felt the script did not give her enough emotional range to make Sandhya truly memorable [citation:10][citation:18]. In the end, Reporting Live is a film with something important to say but an uneven grasp of how to say it—a sincere effort that never quite becomes the gripping investigative thriller it aspires to be.
Reporting Live Cast: Parineeti Chopra and Deven Bhojani Lead a Stellar Ensemble
The film brings together a remarkable ensemble of actors from across generations, led by a pairing audiences have never seen before:
Parineeti Chopra leads the film as Sandhya Yadav, an ambitious field reporter for the Mumbai-based news channel Azaad Bharati who is desperate for her first primetime scoop. Chopra, returning to the thriller genre after her Netflix series Shaque, brings determination and sincerity to the role, though critics noted that the writing gave her limited emotional range. Hindustan Times observed that she “does a decent job,” while India Today felt her “perpetually furrowed brow” made Sandhya feel “more like a constructed screen persona than a believable reporter” [citation:15][citation:18].
Deven Bhojani delivers what many critics consider the film’s standout performance as Vinod Sharma, Sandhya’s experienced and reluctant cameraman. Hindustan Times called him “wonderful, making you genuinely feel for his character,” while The Lucknow Tribune praised his “warmth, restraint, and understated humanity” [citation:11][citation:15]. Their on-screen partnership provides the film with its emotional anchor. Amol Palekar leaves a strong impression as Shiva Kaka, a local whistleblower who reveals the truth about the sand mining, with critics noting his “quiet authority” despite limited screen time [citation:8]. Adil Hussain brings effortless credibility to Vidur Dutt, the editor-in-chief caught between journalistic ethics and corporate pressure, while Shekhar Suman is “sufficiently vicious” as channel owner Shyam [citation:18]. Nassar lends presence to the antagonist role, and Saswata Chatterjee, Pitobash Tripathy, Prachee Shah Pandya, and Sameer Kochhar round out the supporting cast.
Reporting Live Plot: A Journalist’s Dangerous Pursuit of Truth
The story follows Sandhya Yadav (Parineeti Chopra), an ambitious reporter working for a Mumbai-based news channel called Azaad Bharati. Her cameraman and trusted friend is Vinod Sharma (Deven Bhojani). One day, Sandhya is assigned to travel to the village of Visargaon in Maharashtra, where a bridge has collapsed. A school bus was crossing the bridge at the time, leading to the deaths of fourteen children. While covering the tragedy, Sandhya speaks with villagers who claim the bridge collapsed because of a solar eclipse. Even a local minister repeats the same claim. However, two villagers, Shiva (Amol Palekar) and Mangesh (Pitobash Tripathy), allege that the bridge collapsed due to government inaction. They tell Sandhya that the collapse was caused by illegal sand mining in the region—excessive removal of sand had weakened the bridge’s foundation.
Sandhya and Vinod begin their investigation and are soon threatened by sand mafia goons. Nevertheless, they manage to collect evidence and submit it to their news channel. The channel’s head honchos, Vidur Dutt (Adil Hussain) and Shyam (Shekhar Suman), are impressed with the exclusive report and air it. The police are compelled to arrest those involved in illegal sand mining. However, within a few days, the illegal activity resumes, and Shyam is pressured to take down the story. Sandhya and Vinod find themselves caught between their commitment to the truth and the powerful forces determined to silence them.
As they dig deeper, the reporters uncover a sprawling nexus involving corrupt officials, a powerful construction firm called Golden Sky, and a ruthless sand mafia. Their key source is killed, they face a defamation case, and their own channel begins to distance itself from the story. Even their editor-in-chief finds his hands tied by corporate interests. But Sandhya and Vinod refuse to back down, continuing their investigation independently as the threats to their lives and careers escalate. The film builds toward a climax that critics described as predictable but clapworthy, as the journalists make their final, desperate push to expose the truth and hold the guilty accountable. It is a story about the cost of speaking truth to power, and the personal sacrifices required to keep journalism alive.
“Some stories refuse to be buried.”
