Amongst the Sangram ‘Simmba’ Bhaleraos, Chulbul Pandeys and Bajirao Singhams emerge names of police officers that are iconic, inspirational and fearless.

Presenting a list of Bollywood and web series titles that showcase fierce female cops and their motivation to fight off evil from the society, proving their metals in both acting and action, doing everything and beyond, to make sure a peaceful society prevails.

Jai Gangaajal

Corruption has become a part of society, so much so, that today’s politicians reek of it. And so is the case with the brothers- Babloo and Dabloo Pandey, the MLAs of Bankipur who are infamous for grabbing land of power plants, whose financiers are politically backing them. Which is when IPS Abha Mathur, essayed on-screen by Priyanka Chopra is appointed. With the preconceived notion, that since she’s a woman, she’d be much more lenient and forgiving towards them, and might even be submissive enough to support them in their evil deeds. But they’re in for a surprise when she breaks all hell loose to fight their immoral and undeserving actions. Thus, indicating that no matter how much you undermine a woman’s strength, they’ll always find a way to surprise you.

Mardaani

Made on the theme of fighting child trafficking and rape, Mardaani is a film which correctly based itself on the scenario of increasing crimes in India, especially against women. Rani Mukherji, plays the role of Shivani who rescues Pyaari from her uncle, who wanted to sell her. She then starts mothering Pyaari and inevitably gets attached. When Karan, a crime cartel-runner involving child trafficking, gets access to Pyaari, he abducts her. Shivani is now hell bent on rescuing her and would go to the ends of the earth to do the same, if need be.

Vadham

The exhilarating drama series produced by Applause Entertainment is centered on Sakthi Pandian, essayed by Shruthi Hariharan, a young and honest female police inspector who is assigned to an all-women’s police station and is determined to solve the murder of an influential politician’s close aide. The investigation soon turns murky and Sakthi also starts facing difficulties in her personal life due to various issues in her relationship. The twists in the way complicate things further leaving Sakthi in an ethical dilemma with very few options to choose from. The film authentically describes the life of a working women, especially one who is in a challenging job like that of a Police Inspector and the problems she faces while balancing her two lives.

Flesh

Like the name, the series is direct and to the point to show the dreadful situations of sex trafficking. Based in Mumbai and Kolkata, the plot narrates how teenagers are abducted by befriending strangers on social media. After the filing of a police complaint, the case lands on the tough and often rule-breaking police officer Radha. The show revolves around Radha’s journey and thirst to get hold of the whole gang of human traffickers. Essayed by Swara Bhaskar, Radha is a fearless cop, dedicated on her duty to the nation and proves the metal for women who are dedicated to their duties.

Delhi Crime

Based on Delhi Gang rape case, the show shows the journey of not only one but two lady police officers. While DCP Vartika Chaturvedi (Shefali Shah) leads the investigation, she puts her trust on a young but bright police officer Neeti Singh, essayed by Rasika Dugal. While Vartika has her own challenges of finding the culprit along with fighting poor infrastructure, red-tapism and mounting public pressure along the way, Neeti is shown to be a passionate young girl who not only unleashes her potential of being vigilant but also sympathizes with the family of the victim. The Emmy award winning series, narrating the true events of the Nirbhaya case, is surely a spine-chilling watch.

By Verus Ferreira