For his maiden web series, Rohit Shetty is doing what he does best — bringing to screen a cop story. The project, which also marks Sidharth Malhotra’s web series debut, has been in the news for a while. Now, mid-day has learnt that the duo is set to commence filming tomorrow. Sources say that the production team has cordoned off a portion of the Golden Tobacco factory in Vile Parle for the purpose.

A source from the production team reveals, “After the release of Sooryavanshi [2021], Rohit and his team have been working relentlessly on the script and world building of the series. Considering the OTT universe is filled with cop dramas, he wanted his signature style to reflect in the cop caper. As the showrunner, he wants to present the series in a way that appeals to a global audience.”

The offering, which will be helmed by debutant director Sushwanth Prakash, will be shot across live locations in Mumbai. Prakash has worked closely with Shetty, serving as an assistant director on Dilwale (2015) and Simmba (2018), among other projects.

Rohit Shetty has given Bollywood two of its much-loved cops in the Singham franchise and Simmba (2018). Not to mention, another brave police officer in the form of Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi will explode on the big screen as soon as the makers deem it feasible. With his next, Cirkus nearing the finish line, the filmmaker is ready to introduce us to another cop drama. mid-day has it that Shetty is backing an eight-episode web series for Amazon Prime Video, which will be helmed by his assistant director Sushwanth Prakash.

Prakash, son of National Award-winning choreographers Rekha and Chinni Prakash, previously directed the short film, CopyCat (2015). “Sushwanth has been part of Rohit’s team for many years. The filmmaker, in his maiden digital offering, will serve as the creator and showrunner. With only 10 days’ work remaining on Ranveer Singh’s Cirkus, Rohit has started working on the cop thriller with his team of writers. The story is said to be inspired by true events,” reveals a trade source.

Shetty has apparently initiated talks with Vicky Kaushal, Sidharth Malhotra and Tiger Shroff for the series, and will zero in on the leading man in the coming weeks. “They are Rohit’s top choices for the role as the material demands an actor who is adept at action. If all goes well, the actioner will roll by December. Though it marks Rohit’s foray into the OTT world, he is not in a rush to announce it and will probably do so only after the release date of Sooryavanshi is finalised.”

Shetty remained unavailable for comment.