PremiumIndian Police Force review - Rohit Shetty's web series led by Sidharth Malhotra is the hard case of missing 'main character energy'
Indian Police Force fails the Rohit Shetty spark, which he boasts in his Cop Universe.
Last Updated: 11.19 AM, Jan 19, 2024
The gripping Indian Police Force chronicles the terrifying ordeal of Delhi Police Officer Kabir Malik (Sidharth Malhotra) as he fights a sinister enemy named Zarar (Mayyank Taandon), who was radicalised at an early age and has decided to become a terrorist. An exciting pursuit sets the stage for this police thriller, which depicts the dogged quest for justice and the ultimate sacrifices officers make while on the job.
Have you ever felt that your heart is full after watching a cop film by Rohit Shetty? If so, why? Do you think it can be fulfilling to watch a show with dialoguebaazi, action sequences, cars blowing up, and the hero having an entry sequence in every scene for seven episodes? That's what I felt while watching Indian Police Force—exhausting but not with a give-up attitude.
The series begins with a bomb blast, which returns after every two episodes. If not, the show revolves around the discussion of bomb blasts happening in different parts of the country, with the Indian Mujahideen (IM) as the mastermind. Taking a break from Goa (not really), this time the story is set in Delhi. In the opening episode, a sequence of devastating explosions rocks the city of Delhi, and chaos ensues. The explosions have caused the locals to panic. With the city's tranquilly broken, the heroic officers of the Delhi Police must now face the daunting task of apprehending those responsible.
This results in us getting introduced to the villain of the story, Zaraar (Mayyank Taandon), who lives under the name Haider. Raza (Rituraj Singh) is a "teacher" who influences young minds by radicalising them. He teaches that people in India are the enemies of their religion, so nothing is above that. If you felt that Rohit Shetty's Sooryavanshi was very much against his usual tropes by showing Pakistani villains being in disguise in India as well as one scene where Akshay Kumar as Veer Sooryavanshi taught a "Muslim" how to be an Indian, Indian Police Force has taken it to another level. This time, the lead character himself is a Muslim, Kabir Malik, and so is the villain, who has been radicalised.
Until the third episode, it remains undisclosed whether Sidharth's character is a Muslim or not. And it so happens that when the terrorist says that this country has done things against their religion, that's when Kabir discloses his identity, which has not been an important topic until then. Then the discussion continues indefinitely, with religion constantly coming into play, and Kabir has to constantly remind the terrorists about their love for the country and the importance of not letting religion impact it in any way.
If Rohit Shetty movies take their sweet time to build up the story in the first half, his debut series gets on it in a jiffy. The audience is aware of the case, the method to crack it, and the inevitable victory of the police. But the process gets a little too exhaustive as the show progresses. The storyline falters, knowing that padding it up to make it into a series is a slightly difficult task, so to speak.
However, if the villain who looks coy has dangerous intentions, he still doesn't come as a stronger part. That's the unfortunate one behind all the blasts, but despite trying to show the humane side, that overpowers even his villainous side. Well, that's not something you would expect from a villain who kills innocent people in the name of religion and who doesn't even stop once. Mayyank, who plays Zarar, does look like someone who would be naive but has an evil side. However, as the show progresses, the character's intended larger purpose seems to diminish. What's the point in showing the humane side of a terrorist and expecting that he will have remorse for his actions?
Moreover, the series has three lead characters: Sidharth Malhotra as SP Kabir Malik IPS, Vivek Oberoi as Joint CP Vikram Bakshi IPS, and Shilpa Shetty Kundra as Gujarat ATS Chief Tara Shetty. The three have different personalities from each other, both as characters and as professionals.
However, if I had to choose the best out of three, it's hands-down Shilpa for me. The actor was the perfect casting choice as a no-nonsense cop who knows her job. The actor keeps that attitude intact throughout the series, even while indulging in banter with her fellow police officers. However, I expected more from her, especially the hospital action sequence in the sixth episode. Rohit Shetty did make a great choice by introducing her as his first female cop in the Cop Universe. But I wish there were moments for her to shine, especially while packing a punch.
Sidharth did deliver as per his calibre, which we know by now looking at his career trajectory. It's not that he is a bad performer or cannot hold our attention. But there are moments when he is in the frame with heavy dialogue and carries out intense scenes, but the 'main character' energy is amiss.
The weakest of the lot is Vivek, mainly because of his brief appearance. The unexpected nature of this event was not like a sad plot twist, but rather something that was unnecessary. Well, it's the filmmaker's perspective for sure, but the series was just building up and went into Game of Thrones mode, which is very unlike Shetty. No matter what the situation is or how illogical it is, most of the time, the cops in his universe stand still like towering personalities.
The other actors, especially Shweta Tiwari and Sharad Kelkar, do get their moments to shine, and they serve well as supporting actors.
Indian Police Force as a show that Shetty helmed with Sushwanth Prakash is an attempt that doesn't feel like the blockbuster opening that you expect from his Universe. The series, which is a part of the Cop Universe that has been in celluloid for over a decade, turned out to be the lowest on the list. Yes, the missed opportunity of blending all his usual and bumper elements for a super hit film is not even there.
So what if it's a web series? Why wasn't there any whistleworthy moment over seven episodes, barring possibly one? Even for a movie like Sooryavanshi and Simmba, of which I am not a fan, there are scenes that have recall value, and you might even end up laughing or appreciating them. But Indian Police Force has none, apart from Shilpa's one action sequence. Just one memorable sequence from a web series created by Rohit Shetty—that's unusual, right?
When it comes to the world of police dramas, Indian Police Force makes an effort to carve out a certain place for itself; nonetheless, it doesn't seem like the roaring patrol car that is synonymous with other cop films by Rohit Shetty. The series fails to reach the heart-pounding crescendo that the Cop Universe is known for.