Return of the Bollywood 'khakee'

Whether it is the super success of Chulbul Pandey at the box office last year or simply the age-old fixation of film-lovers wanting to see their Bolly stars beat up the baddies as men in uniform — our heroes are now inclined to play men in uniform in the months ahead!

Leading the pack is actor Abhishek Bachchan with his dual cop-act in Dum Maaro Dum and Dhoom 3, actor Aamir Khan plays one in Reema Kagti’s upcoming film and John Abraham does the same in Force. After Aakrosh last year, actor Ajay Devgn will once again play a cop in the remake of Singam. Salman Khan is expected to get into the shoes of both his cop characters of Wanted and Dabang in their sequels later this year, while actors Shahid Kapoor and Neil Nitin Mukesh too are playing defence officers in Mausam and 7 Khoon Maaf respectively. Rumour has it that actor Shah Rukh Khan too may play a cop in the official remake of the Hollywood suspense, The Departed.

Trade analysts inform that Bollywood always had a fair share of cop films to boast of, but they do agree that this year will see a bumper season of cops! “Everyone seems to have caught the cop bug in Bollywood,” they share.

“Every star in Bollywood has played a cop on screen at some point in their lives. Besides, the audiences love to see their heroes in a position of power and as protectors of good. As men in uniform they fit the profile perfectly. Besides, women are  also  known to have a soft spot for men in uniform, so they win brownie points there too,” explains trade pundit Amod Mehra.

For Shahid, getting into the uniform as an Air Force pilot was a dream come true. “The uniform instantly adds a lot of respect and pride to the character. You personally feel so proud that the confidence also reflects in the way you carry yourself. It catapults you into feeling like a hero already!” says Shahid.

Playing a cop legitimises the actor’s action of punishing the bad guys, feels Abhishek. “Every man wants to believe in a hero. In real life it would usually mean these men in uniform, who are seen as the protectors. So, playing the upholders of law brings in a lot of authority and depth to their characters naturally,” explains the actor, adding that Pa Amitabh Bachchan’s Zanjeer is the best cop-act ever on screen.

For actor Ajay Devgn, the attraction of playing a cop lies in the fact that the uniform has an image of its own. “The uniform does half the work of an actor. The audiences feel for the uniform before they fall for the character,” he says.