LISTICLE: 10 ON-SCREEN COPS THAT CHARMED US

In real life, sadly, the police are rarely seen as defenders of justice. On screen, however, they’re often more reassuring. Now, as Rohit Shetty expands his cop universe into the web space with the Sidharth Malhotra-helmed eight-part series titled The Indian Police Force, and Suniel Shetty makes his web debut as tough Inspector Vikram in the Amazon Mini TV web series, Hunter, it seems cops who make us feel safe are the flavour of the season. Of course, we’ve seen police officers like these before. Meet 10 who’d totally ride to our rescue.

1. Michael Vedanayagam

In the web series Farzi (2023), Vijay Sethupathi plays Michael, a cynical cop with a dry sense of humour and an enviable vocabulary of Hindi cuss words. A flawed character battling his inner demons, Michael Vedanayagam doesn’t always do the right thing and he’s certainly no Vijay Khanna, Zanjeer’s Angry Young (Police) Man. But he is a relatable middle-aged man (with a few anger issues) doing his duty as a police inspector and trying his best to keep his job.

2. Arvind Mathur

In Chup: Revenge of the Artist (2022), Arvind Mathur, an inspector general of police and head of the crime branch, Mumbai, must capture a serial killer. Played by Sunny Deol, an actor known for pounding goons with his dhai kilo ke haath (2.5 kg fists), IGP Mathur is cerebral and sensible. But behind the calm exterior is a man who screams his lungs out and jumps out of windows. Deol as a supercop is not a person to mess with.

3. SSP Vikram

The honest and moralistic encounter specialist played by Saif Ali Khan in Vikram Vedha (2022) divides the world into two clear sides – good and evil. Since criminals are evil, they must be killed. Even with a body count of 18, he lives with a clear conscience, certain he has never hurt an innocent person. Unlike Sartaj of Sacred Games who inhabits a similar world, Vikram is confident and at the top of his game. And as Vikram, Saif is hot!

4. Vartika Chaturvedi

In the 2019-2022 web series Delhi Crime, Deputy Commissioner of Police Vartika Chaturvedi, played by Shefali Shah, is a strong-willed, independent, diligent, and no-nonsense cop who believes in leading by example. Based on Chhaya Sharma, the former deputy commissioner of police in Delhi who was instrumental in solving the Nirbhaya case, Vartika is a woman of steel – but also flawed and human. She is also the working mother of a teenage daughter, which adds a different dimension to her character.

5. Hathiram Chaudhary

A middle-class man tied to his responsibilities as a father, husband, and government employee, Jaideep Ahlawat as Hathiram Chaudhary in the web series Pataal Lok (2020) works tirelessly as a cop. Though he is ruthless when necessary, he isn’t really viewed as a ‘hero’ by his seniors and is forever trying to prove his worth – until he lands a high profile case and eventually cracks it. Hathiram Chaudhary will soon return on screen in the second season of Pataal Lok.

6. Meera Deshmukh

An inspector general of police in Goa, Meera Deshmukh, played by Tabu in Drishyam and Drishyam 2 (2015, 2022), is a complex and nuanced character. She is a ruthless police officer, totally dedicated to her job. But as a mother, she is indulgent and deliberately ignorant of her son’s crimes. The way she deals with her son’s murder as a cop and a mother is the core conflict in her character. But – beware, criminals – her inner supercop eventually comes through.

7. Kasturi Dogra

In the web series Aranyak (2021), Raveena Tandon as SHO Kasturi Dogra is a single mom working in a field mostly dominated by men. She is both a tough cop and nurturer as she tries to balance her personal and professional commitments. But her main challenge is not the demon prowling the town she protects. It’s the one inside her head. In her own words, “Dushman … bheetar hain (the enemy is within).” When she tames this demon, she’s invincible.

8. Ayan Ranjan

IPS officer Ayan Ranjan, played by Ayushmann Khurrana in Article 15 (2019) is just another urban, entitled, upper-caste man. He is woke but not well-informed about India’s ground realities. When he’s posted to a small town in Uttar Pradesh, he is confronted with caste and class conflict probably for the first time in his life. Idealistic and law-abiding, he decides to fight the caste issue while acknowledging his own class privilege and even at times using it for the cause.

9. Sartaj Singh

Sartaj Singh, the beaten down, disillusioned, and sleeping pills-addicted police inspector who one day gets a call informing him he has 25 days to save Mumbai, is one of the most impressive cops we have seen on screen in recent times. Played by Saif Ali Khan in the web series Sacred Games (2018-19), Sartaj Singh is loyal to his uniform and duty and refuses to take the easy way to the top. The perfect cop, though he is sporadically suicidal.

10. Bajirao Singham

Played by Ajay Devgan in Singham (2011), Simmba (2018), and Sooryavanshi (2021), Bajirao Singham is an honest police officer in charge of the Shivgad police station. The lion heart is a bulwark against all things corrupt. He is a gravity atheist too – the king of cool stunts and the OG Rohit Shetty cop. Moreover, apart from having his own cartoon show, he has some rather cool and efficient phone-a-friends in Inspector Sangram Bhalerao aka Simmba, and DCP Veer ‘Surya’ Sooryavanshi.

From HT Brunch, April 1, 2023

Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch

Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch

Read more news like this on HindustanTimes.com

2023-03-31T16:29:25Z dg43tfdfdgfd