Upala KBR (DNA; May 14, 2016)

Tusshar Kapoor is on a break from adult comedies. In fact, the only film he has signed till now, Kabeer Kaushik’s Chicago Junction, has him playing perhaps the darkest, most evil character that he has ever played. Other cast members include Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapur. One more mainstream hero is yet to be cast. Set in Uttar Pradesh, the film traces the deep-rooted nexus of crime and politics with Naseeruddin Shah playing the negative role.

Tusshar says, “It’s a period film based in the ’70s called Chicago Junction. It’s got to do with gang wars in UP and is called that because eastern Uttar Pradesh, used to be called as the land of gang wars and mafia war was at its peak. It was even given the title of Chicago of the East by BBC Radio. My role is that of a ruthless gangster who has nothing good in him. It’s the darkest, most negative character I have ever played till now. There are no shades of grey — its black. It’s something very different from what I have done till now so I am very excited about it.”

Talking about taking a break from adult comedies the actor says, “While I have never strategised what I should do or not do where my roles were concerned, I feel that this is not the time to do any more adult comedies. The Censor Board is coming down heavily and editing many scenes. They don’t want adult comedies so we can’t go against the rules. Why make one when you can’t make it properly? I am not interested in doing that right now. So I am taking a break from adult comedies now for a while and going back to the gritty and realistic stuff that I did earlier like Shor In The City where I played a tapori and the Shootout series where I played gangsters.”

What made him say yes to such a dark character? “I met Kabir a couple of months back and loved the script. There’s good drama but my character is very dark. I play the antagonist. It’s role reversal from my usual funny, cute type of characters. It’s a very challenging character and I will have to shed my good boy persona to get into that dark space. I am a very positive person so I will have to go that extra mile. I will be also learning the local dialect that is spoken in UP.”

Tusshar will also be sporting a leaner look in the film. “Look, Kabir had asked me to lose weight a few months back for this role so I have shed some kilos which is what he wanted. I am just getting into a completely dark zone. While in Shootout At Lokhandwala, I played a gangster people were sympathetic to my character. This is something else altogether and an experiment I am willing to do because of the sheer darkness and depravity of the character.”

He’s always been known as a good guy but what the baddest things he has ever done in real life? “I am not a bad person but I have done things like cheated in class for Marathi tests as that was my weakest subject but strangely I have only played Maharastrian characters, I have stolen my cousins toys as a child and said I have lost them, fought with my sister Ekta and my parents and yes, when I was studying in the USA I did have my share of bad days in Michigan and would cover up.”

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 6, 2015)

Urmimala Banerjee (MID-DAY; August 28, 2014)

Fighting terrorists, making big busts and guarding the streets at night — the average cop is a superhero, no less. At least, this is what you will believe if you have watched Singham Returns or Mardaani, two cop films that released back-to-back. The films have a common thread: the Mumbai Police. With critics and the public appreciating the positive depiction of men in khaki, we find out if such films really help the police in brand building.

A welcome trend Bollywood does not have a long legacy of cop films, especially in the mainstream category. In recent years, the policeman with maximum recall value is Dabangg’s ‘Robin Hood’ Chulbul Pandey — a loveable but corrupt cop. Earlier, we had Iftekhar and Jagdish Raj Khurana cast as cops in every second film. In the ’80s and early ’90s, there was a spate of films that showed cops as a debauched lot.

Mahesh Patil, deputy commissioner of Police- Zone 5, Mumbai Police, says, “We used to feel hurt seeing the police get painted in a negative light in these films. We welcome the positive change in cop portrayals now and hope that these recent films convince people that we are their friends, and not villains.”

Himanshu Roy (right), chief, Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), echoed his views, “There’s scope for realistic portrayal of cops in Bollywood films, which, in a way, will reinforce the efforts we undertake in our line of work.”

While some might argue over the larger-than-life image of the police on screen, filmmakers feel that cinematic liberty should be allowed to some extent. Director Kabeer Kaushik, who helmed two cop films, Sehar, and Maximum (left), opines, “As long as the portrayal is palatable and within the script’s paradigm, the public can take it in its stride. Whether they influence the public or not can be the subject of a long, open-ended debate.”

Joining hands It is not unusual for filmmakers to take inputs from policemen for their films. Ram Gopal Varma was perhaps the first to depict cops in a realistic manner in Company. Roy, who has been credited by the makers of both films, says, “Directors do talk to us about our daily lives, the challenges we face, resources at our disposal, etc. At times, they take inputs in order to recreate a police station or perfect the lingo.”

Such interactions can enhance a film’s quality, suggests Kaushik. “One cannot develop a nuanced script without having sizable interface with various contours of the subject,” he says.

Reaping rewards
It may be pointed out that banners and print/TV ad campaigns highlighting achievements of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch are conspicuously absent. Patil says, “We work for the public. The police don’t need advertising.”

However, it’s important to note that several police reforms have been taken up in the last 15 years in order to change the image of cops. Roy reaffirms this. “A lot of brainstorming has taken place so as to sensitise the regular police force. However, nothing succeeds like success. Right from tracking the people behind the 13/7 bomb blasts to solving the J Dey murder case, the track record of Mumbai Police Crime Branch has been good. Citizens are aware of our achievements,” he says.

He further adds that the police do not need advertising because they perform a sovereign function. “We do make short films, which are shown in theatres or public places, for public awareness. You can call it indirect brand building. But what builds our brand is our results,” says Roy.

Brand matters
Given the infinite reach of Indian cinema, can films work towards improving the image of police and other government agencies? Suhel Seth of Counselage says, “The two films worked wonders for the image of the Mumbai Police. The filmmaker (Rohit Shetty) did a great job by showing their living conditions, the sacrifices they make for a job that is neither lucrative nor filled with material benefits. Cinema has a huge reach and can surely help in building brand equity for police and other forces.”