Manoj Bajpayee reveals how he prepared for his role in Despatch: 'I turned to my long-standing friendships with...'

Manoj Bajpayee has opened up about playing the role of an investigative journalist in the ZEE5 film, Despatch. The actor also revealed how he prepped for his character.

Manoj Bajpayee on prep for his role in Despatch.

Manoj Bajpayee recently starred in Kanu Behl's movie, Despatch. After doing the film festival rounds, the investigative thriller premiered on ZEE5 on December 13. Although the movie opened to mixed reviews, Manoj has been lauded for his performance. He plays the role of an investigative journalist Joy Bag in Despatch. In a guest column for Mid-Day, Bajpayee opened up about essaying the role of Joy and how he prepped for it.

Manoj Bajpayee on his prep for Despatch role

Manoj Bajpayee said playing Joy Bag in Despatch made him understand why journalism is the fourth pillar in India's democracy. The actor mentioned that journalists venture into the most uncertain territories to seek the truth.

Also read: Despatch movie review: Manoj Bajpayee's investigative thriller is a tedious watch

He further spoke about his preparation for an investigative journalist's role in the Kanu Behl directorial. "To prepare for the role, I turned to my long-standing friendships with journalists. Some of whom I’ve known since theatre days in Delhi. Our conversations offered me a window into their lives, revealing the immense pressures they face, from maintaining work-life balance, to battling mental health challenges," revealed Manoj.

The actor added that when he got the opportunity to play this character, he felt it was a natural extension of ongoing exploration (of diverse roles). "Investigative journalism has historically been a powerful force for uncovering societal injustice," he mentioned.

Manoj continued by saying that playing Joy in Despatch 'reaffirmed his belief' about the importance of journalists as 'defenders of truth'. "Journalists are not just professionals. Their pursuit of truth is a deeply human endeavour, and a service to society," revealed Manoj.

More about Despatch

Apart from Manoj, Despatch stars Shahana Goswami and Arrchita Agarwaal in pivotal roles. Produced by Ronni Screwvala, the film is available for streaming on OTTplay Premium.

Keep following this space for more updates!

Also read: Despatch actor Manoj Bajpayee REVEALS if he feels jealous of Shah Rukh Khan’s success

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