6 years of Simmba: How Ranveer Singh became a permanent fixture in Rohit Shetty's Cop Universe

It's been six years since Ranveer Singh entered the world of Rohit Shetty and never left! The actor played the titular role of Simmba in the 2018 release, which he even reprised in both Sooryavanshi (2021) and Singham Again (2024). Produced by Rohit Shetty Pictures, Dharma Productions, and Reliance Entertainment, the action comedy made Ranveer an adorable favourite among his fans. Sonu Sood, Sara Ali Khan, and Ajay Devgn as Singham all appear in this third instalment of Shetty's Cop Universe. 

Simmba's transformation and connection to Singham

Sangram "Simmba" Bhalerao, from Singham's hometown, plays a corrupt police officer in this remake of the 2015 Telugu film Temper, compelled to live a more moral life after tragedy befalls his loved ones. Singham was born and brought up in Shivgadh, where the orphan Simmba also belongs. Simmba views the life of a corrupt cop as perfect, while Singham holds a different perspective, which motivates him to emulate him. A plot twist changes Simmba's life and makes him pick the moral road, even though he is enjoying life as an immoral and unethical police officer.

ALSO READ: Unable to subscribe to ZEE5? You can now watch Ranveer Singh’s Simmba instead at the price of chips 

Although critics gave the film mixed reviews, it became Singh's highest-earning opening film to date (2018) and grossed around ₹400 crore globally.

Acquiring rights to remake Temper

Earlier, while talking about remaking Temper in Hindi, Shetty said in an interview that they considered taking four or five scenes from the film but ultimately decided it would be wiser to purchase the rights.

Meanwhile, lawsuits involving Sara Ali Khan's first feature film, Kedarnath, delayed the release of his second feature, Simmba. Both films were supposed to be made around the same time and starred her. After a court order halted the filming of Kedarnath, Khan redirected the crew's attention to Simmba. Abhishek Kapoor, anticipating the postponement of Kedarnath, filed a lawsuit against her, arguing that it would also delay her debut. Khan and the studio reached a settlement outside of court when she agreed to star in both projects.

Future of the Simmba franchise

Earlier, during a discussion about the Simmba sequel, Ranveer stated in an interview that it will undoubtedly happen, with God's blessing. The eventual creation of a franchise has been a long-term goal. As long as Rohit Shetty continues to make it, he will gladly play Simmba, his favourite character.

Simmba can be streamed on ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium).

ALSO READ: Cop films to binge-watch on OTT ahead of Singham Again release