Khaki strikes gold at BO

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The cop, who wears a khaki uniform, flaunts medals, fights for justice and walks with his chest puffed out and head held high is one of the most sought-after characters on the big screen these days. Be it the unforgettable Chulbul Pandey in Dabangg or Bajirao Singham in Singham, the audience loves the hero in uniform.

And while films like Wanted, Rowdy Rathore, Dabangg, Singham, Mumbai Meri Jaan and A Wednesday have already made headlines, there are more in the pipeline like Dabangg 2, Talaash, Dhoom 3, Zilla Ghaziabad, Jai Ramji, etc. But what’s it about the uniform that proves a crowd-puller?
The character of a cop has all the dramatic elements of a hero, says Rajeev Khandelwal who played a cop in Shaitan. “As soon as an actor puts on the uniform, he transforms into a hero. If the protagonist is a good cop, the audience sees him as the hero who will bring an end to all the woes,” adds Rajeev.
More than 50 per cent films on police officers usually click at the box office, says film trade analyst Komal Nahta. “Though films on cops have always been Bollywood favourites, Dabangg’s success has brought them back in the spotlight. There have been many actors who have donned the khaki uniform, but the real crowd-puller is a superstar in the uniform,” he adds.
Producer, actor and assistant director Ramesh Talwar agrees with Nahta. “Police roles work with big stars. Be it Amitabh Bachchan’s Deewar or Salman’s Dabangg, a famous actor can easily pull off the role that sometimes defies logic and exaggerates situations,” says Ramesh, who was an assistant director for the superhit film Deewar where Shashi Kapoor played the memorable cop who hunts down his own smuggler brother.
The USP of a policeman is such that it can attract crowds anywhere, says film distributor Sanjay Chattar. “Not just the big towns, such films are a huge success in small towns as well. About 20 per cent higher profit is generated in small cities from films made on police officers,” adds Sanjay, who distributed prints for Singham.