Actor Sidharth Malhotra, who is set to play a police officer in the upcoming series Indian Police Force, said he is honoured to wear the khaki uniform on screen.
The actor was speaking at an event ‘Indian Police Ko Salaam’, billed as an ode to the service, commitment and patriotism of Delhi Police officers. Ritu Arora, president, Police Families Welfare Society (PFWS), and Sanjay Arora, Commissioner of Police, Delhi, were the chief guests at the event held at the National Police Memorial, New Delhi.
Growing up in Delhi, Malhotra said he would often want to interact with the police officers on duty. “As a citizen, you always want your officers and government to protect you. After I reached a certain position, I think the police service is one of the toughest jobs in the country.
“They take care of the public and deal with them with so much patience. As an actor, I feel honoured that I got an opportunity to wear the uniform on the screen. We are the reel heroes, you (police officers) are the real heroes,” said the actor, who previously played Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra in Shershaah.
On the stage, Malhotra was joined by Indian Police Force director Rohit Shetty, his co-stars Shilpa Shetty and Vivek Oberoi as well as Aparna Purohit, Head of India & South East Asia Originals, Prime Video, and Sushant Sriram, Country Director, Prime Video, India.
Not only the officers, their families are also the “real heroes”, said Rohit Shetty. “I know how tough things are for the families of police officers. Both the officer and his family are always on duty till he retires. The sacrifices of the families often don’t get highlighted. Monuments like the National Police Memorial are important so that the youth remembers the sacrifice of the brave officers,” the director added.
Shilpa Shetty said she is honoured to play a “real-life hero” in her career.
“Playing a character is one thing and portraying a real hero is another game altogether. I’m happy that this series is an ode to the Indian Police and I’m also a small part of this show,” she added.
The trailer of the Indian Police Force received a thunderous response from the police personnel and their families at the event.
An exclusive montage from the series, set to Shetty’s voice over, was also played. The show will start streaming on Prime Video from January 19.