OTT and the authentic female cop: How the platform fuelled a change in perspective

Think of a typical Bollywood crime thriller. The image that most likely comes to mind is that of a male police officer chasing a male criminal. You may spot a woman constable, who seems to only be around for the sake of representation and doesn’t really contribute much to the plot. One exception could be that of Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Don, in which she plays an intelligent cop who is devoted to her job. But one can argue that her role is not an accurate representation of real-life women in khakis.

Indian cinema often failed to show true stories of female police officers. Most women in films are either ideal officers who exist only in the minds of the makers, or a pretty-looking actress used to add glitz and glamour to a rather dull plotline.

The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have given birth to a new kind of content. OTT platforms have now become a part of mainstream culture, giving tough competition to traditional theatres. OTT — with web series and movies such as Delhi Crime, Hush Hush, Aranyak, Duranga, Hundred, The Great Indian Murder, Shiksha Mandal, The Fame Game and Dasvi — has attempted to portray genuine female cops. Although some of them may seem a bit far-fetched and overly dramatised, it is a step in the right direction.

Hit and misses: Delhi Crime and Hush Hush

One of the flexes of the year 2020 was the nomination of the show Delhi Crime for the Emmy Awards… and eventually winning it. The show features Shefali Shah in the lead role and is undoubtedly one of her most memorable roles. She plays Vartika Chaturvedi, who solves murder-rape mysteries that take place in Delhi. Her role made it common to feature female cops on screen and opened venues for other actresses to feature in unconventional roles. But, of course, this doesn’t mean that all attempts were successful or received well. Case in point: Hush Hush. Karishma Tanna’s role as Inspector Geeta in the show is better to be forgotten, proving that it is extremely important to cast the right actors to make any role worthwhile. Karishma’s Haryanvi accent is not convincing and her portrayal lacks conviction. Makers must place emphasis on not just writing better characters, but have better actors play them, so that they can add authenticity.

Female cops are interesting on OTT shows, as they delve deep into their psyche

Female cops in leading roles feature in films like Jai Gangaajal, Don, Mardaani, Chakravyuh and Drishyam. On TV, this is seen in Chandramukhi Chautala, played by Kavita Kaushik, which was quite popular at the time. The problem with the above mentioned films and series is that they either showed stereotypical female cops or were a satire on gender-specific norms. What makes OTT's female cops different is that the audience gets a better understanding of the characters’ psyches, by unfurling layers of their personalities.

The stories on OTT do not tokenize the characters, but delve deep into their personal lives to understand the reasoning behind every action. This makes the characters more real and easier to relate to. Shefali Shah and Raveena Tandon in Delhi Crime, and Raveena in Aranyak have beautifully portrayed the struggles of women who are expected to take responsibility for almost everything and maintain a healthy work-life balance, which sometimes becomes impossible, taking a toll on their mental health.

OTT encourages new ideas as it is easier for writers and investors to take risks

A theatrical release carries with it the burden of earning big bucks at the box office, which can either make or break a film. This burden is removed from the OTT sphere, which makes it easier for the writers to take risks and pen unconventional characters, like that of a female cop solving crime mysteries, which was not commonplace in Bollywood. Investors are also willing to take risks by producing unconventional shows, as OTT platforms are considered to be a safe space now, where roles and plot lines out of the ordinary are appreciated.

Quality content trumps tokenism

With interesting plots being easily accessible on OTT platforms, the audience is not simply accepting whatever is presented to them. Viewers know the difference between quality content and tokenism, thanks to the wide reach of OTT and regional cinema, which has shattered geographical and national boundaries.

The flipside

So, is there a flipside to this? Unfortunately, the answer is ‘yes’. As is the case, every fad that becomes mainstream seems to reach a saturation point, where it does not interest the audience anymore. Since there are already many shows/films about the same, the female cop is slowly becoming a dying trend. What is of utmost importance is that OTT platforms continue to stay true to their values of producing new and innovative content, and not just follow the bandwagon of ongoing trends.