At some point in their career, almost every Hindi film hero has played an upright, no-nonsense cop on screen. In comparison, the opportunity has been few and far between for leading ladies. Which is why Mrunal Thakur is stoked to don the khaki uniform for Gumraah. “To be associated with an impactful and fierce character is a dream for every actor. The physicality of the character is starkly different; there’s a certain posture and body language that I’m training for,” she shares.

Also starring Aditya Roy Kapur in the lead, the official remake of Tamil hit Thadam (2019) sees Thakur as a cop investigating a murder case where two lookalikes are the primary suspects. Vardhan Ketkar’s directorial venture went on floors late last year, with the second schedule being wrapped up only last month. Thakur says she had to prep extensively for the role — from adopting the confident gait of a policewoman, to incorporating strength training in her fitness regimen so as to become action-ready.

“A female cop has to find her footing in a police station and solve cases, while making sure that no one intimidates her. She is a woman in a man’s world. It is interesting to explore that facet of her personality. I visited the police station close to my house to see what women are like at work. One can notice that they are tremendously confident and unusually alert. I wanted to observe and [imbibe] these traits. I also had to rework my dialogue delivery so as to say the lines more firmly. I can’t be ‘cute’, as my crew members keep saying.”

Unlike her last few films Toofaan (2021) and Jersey where she played the leading man’s romantic interest, Gumraah will see Thakur in a face-off with Kapur’s character. Does she view this as a subversion of tropes? “Absolutely! The battle has always been between men in such movies. Here, I am happy to be on the other side. For a change, my character is not sweet, kind, or polite. I had to break out of my own conditioning to attempt this role.”