Journalist Says Netflix Used Her Real-Life Story In Parineeti Chopra’s ‘Reporting Live’; Demands Public Apology
Parineeti Chopra’s Reporting Live, which premiered on Netflix on October 9, has landed in controversy after journalist Sandhya Ravishankar accused the makers of using elements of her real-life story without giving her any credit. She alleged that she had pitched the story to the makers twice, in 2022 and 2023, but was not acknowledged.
The journalist has demanded a public apology from Netflix and the film’s makers, while also criticising the performances and portrayal of journalists.
Reporting Live follows a young television reporter and her reluctant cameraman as they investigate a fatal accident in rural Maharashtra. Their investigation leads them to uncover a dangerous illegal sand-mining racket.
‘Netflix Used My Real-Life Story In Reporting Live’
Taking to X, Ravishankar called out Netflix over the alleged similarities between the film and her investigative work.
“Hello Netflix, the next time you want to name a reporter character Sandhya, show her uncovering illegal sand mining, create a Tamil villain, and pick bits and pieces from MY real-life story which was pitched to you TWICE in 2022 and 2023, AND not give me any credit at the least.... Think hard and well,” she wrote.
Journalist Calls Film ‘Supremely Crappy’
Ravishankar also shared her views on the film, taking aim at its performances and portrayal of journalists. She said that Parineeti Chopra’s character was nothing like her or, in her opinion, a real reporter, and criticised the newsroom scenes.
“Thankfully it was a supremely crappy movie with ham performances and Parineeti Chopra was nothing like me. In fact, she was nothing like any reporter & the newsroom portrayal was idiotic & amateurish,” she wrote.
She further alleged that the makers had altered the story just enough to avoid a potential lawsuit.
“You owe me a public apology at the very least but I’m certain you have no moral fibre in you to do so. Shame on you all, especially the director-writer Dhruv Tripathi. Stealing other people's hard work and making money sneakily out of it,” she added.
Hello @NetflixIndia the next time you want to name a reporter character Sandhya, show her uncovering illegal sand mining, create a Tamil villain, and pick bits & pieces from MY real life story which was pitched to you TWICE in 2022 and 2023, AND not give me any credit at the least.... Think hard and well. Thankfully it was a supremely crappy movie with ham performances and @ParineetiChopra was nothing like me. In fact she was nothing like any reporter & the newsroom portrayal was idiotic & amateurish. You've been clever enough to try & escape a lawsuit by altering the story enough. You owe me a public apology at the very least but I'm certain you have no moral fibre in you to do so. Shame on you all, especially the director-writer Dhruv Tripathi. Stealing other people's hard work and making money sneakily out of it.
— Sandhya Ravishankar (@sandhyaravishan) October 30, 2026
For those who are not aware, Sandhya received the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2019 for her investigative multi-part reportage on the illegal beach sand-mining mafia in Tamil Nadu. She has also spoken about receiving multiple threats over her reporting.
How Did Social Media Users React?
Sandhya’s post prompted reactions from social media users, with several expressing support for the journalist and urging her to pursue legal action.
One user wrote, “Damn! Netflix stole your story! Horrible!”
Another commented, “Congratulations, Sandhya Ravishankar. Didn’t know this was a representation of your investigative work. Director and Netflix should show grace and acknowledge and compensate!”
A third user suggested, “Sue them, get a good lawyer and go after them all…”
“I really hope you can get some legal redress out of this crappy situation…,” another person wrote.
A fifth user also criticised the film's portrayal of the reporter, saying, “Sorry this happened to you. I thought the reporter in the flick was such an idiot, she needed sand mining mafia to be explained down to her ELI5-style. That's misrepresenting investigative journalists and decently aware people in general.”
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