#NewsBytesExplainer: Understanding filmmaker Rohit Shetty's successful cop universe
What's the story
Filmmaker Rohit Shetty has a rare distinction attached to his name—barring Cirkus, he has seen success in almost all his movies and is celebrated for understanding the pulse of the audience. He is also behind the ambitious cop universe that has proved to be a guaranteed money-spinner, and these cop films have found love both on OTT platforms and in cinemas. Let's unravel it.
'Singham' franchise
The one that started it all!
Who can forget Ajay Devgn's iconic dialogue Aata majhi satakli, which turned into a nationwide frenzy? The Singham franchise has spawned two films so far—Singham (2011) and Singham Returns (2014)—and they both followed similar storylines of a dedicated police officer Bajirao Singham's (Devgn) fight against corruption. While the first film starred Kajal Aggarwal as the female lead, its spiritual sequel featured Kareena Kapoor Khan.
'Simmba'
'Simmba' was the third movie in Shetty's cop universe
Ranveer Singh starrer Simmba (2018) focused on Sangram "Simmba" Bhalerao, a corrupt police inspector who takes advantage of his position but is forced to lead a more righteous path after tragedy strikes his near and dear ones. The film also starred Sara Ali Khan, Sonu Sood, Ashutosh Rana, Siddhartha Jadhav, Ulka Gupta, and Ashwini Kalsekar, among others. It is currently streaming on ZEE5.
'Sooryavanshi'
'Sooryavanshi' broke records upon its arrival in 2021
Another cop universe constituent, Sooryavanshi (2021) starred Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif and was the biggest blockbuster after the COVID-19 pandemic, thus reviving the box office that was in a lull until then. Kumud Mishra, Jackie Shroff, Gulshan Grover, Sikander Kher, and Abhimanyu Singh were seen in supporting roles. Devgn and Singh also had cameo appearances in Sooryavanshi, which is available on Netflix.
Future
What does the future of cop universe entail?
Shetty is currently working on Singham Again, which will reunite him with his longtime collaborator and friend Devgn. What sets Singham Again apart is that for the first time, it will feature a Lady Singham in the form of Deepika Padukone. Besides that, he has also been working on Sidharth Malhotra-starrer web series titled Indian Police Force, which will stream on Amazon Prime Video.