'Indian Police Force' web series review: Rohit Shetty's OTT debut is a dismal, done-to-death ode to the police force

Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Shilpa Shetty, Vivek Oberoi, Sharad Kelkar, Mukesh RishiDirector: Rohit Shetty and Sushwant PrakashLanguage: HindiFirst of all, it was wonderful to see Mukesh Rishi after what feels like ages. Now to the show- Indian Police Force is Rohit Shetty’s ode to the spirit of the forces that guard our country and think for the nation and about the nation before thinking about themselves. It’s an age-old cinematic sentiment being milked even today. The series begins with glimpses from a blast that has shook the capital, but Shetty, the larger-than-life filmmaker he is, and his magnanimous vision for his OTT debut, cannot control his urge to introduce his hero in slow-motion shots. So even when there’s destruction all over, Sidharth Malhotra arrives at the scene with a swelling background score that quickly establishes his heroism.We then get a two-hour old flashback where his mother says he should wear the police uniform more often as he looks drop-dead handsome. His senior, played by Vivek Oberoi, gets an opposite introductory shot where he’s searching for his mobile and his son asks him why he’s wearing a uniform (??). The intent is clear and so is the idea, but Indian Police Force has some questionable scenes that may have been written to evoke a debatable reaction. A car with a bomb planted in it is dragged by Malhotra towards a warehouse near a hospital by a vehicle Ajay Devgn used for his entry in Sooryavanshi. Result? Of course, a claptrap moment for the masses. After all, you can break the rules at the cost of saving lives. Okay then.Real or Cliched?By now, the narrative about the selflessness and heroism of the forces can’t be distinguished between being real and being cliched. Yes, they don’t take their holidays when it comes to duty, and these scenes and sermons do make it to movies too; but how much of it still feels fresh? There are scenes about wives making phone calls to their officer husbands, conversations about duty and death, and dialogues about Jehad now done to death. The main issue with the series is that the actors, on many occasions, mistake stiffness for spunk. Shetty knows how to create emotional vulnerabilities, he did that with his first film itself (Zameen), but the filmmaker, along with his co-director Sushwanth Prakash, and co-writers Vidhi Ghodgaonkar, Anusha Nandakumar, Sandeep Saket, and Ayush Trivedi, prioritizes scale and sweep, and spurts of cheerful silliness.I use the term cheerful silliness because this director has carefully crafted some of the most implausible scenes with unapologetic swag, and you can’t help but smile, if not entirely guffaw. Who can forget Prakash Raj’s now-viral climatic speech (read screech) in Singham, or Ranveer Singh’s antics in Simmba? Here, that moment comes pretty early when Shilpa Shetty enters the scene. She storms right inside an evidence warehouse in her black SUV, wearing a pair of black shades and a black dress, entering the frame that can only be directed by Rohit Shetty.A Globetrotting Narrative And A Fresh VillainWhat is also refreshing is to see the director finally branching out of his fetish for Goa (even though the series does take us to his favorite state later) and giving the show a globetrotting touch. We get fleeting encounters and sprawling shots of Iran, Bihar, Jaipur, and Uttar Pradesh. Also nice is to see an antagonist who’s young and fresh, and Mayank Tandon carries the role with composure.Fast And Furious, And FlawedUnfortunately, the shortcomings overtake the strengths. The action scenes are swiftly shot, there’s some thrill to be had in the chases that happen across the streets of Goa, but the ferocity comes with a bunch of flaws. That a cop chooses to ignore the prime suspect because two of his allies have been caught is a scene hard to digest, that an arrested recruit is able to escape from the police jeep guarded by officers is harder.But the one thing I shall never forget Indian Police Force for is how Malhotra’s character declares with all his stoicism when his wife quotes Rajesh Khanna’s iconic line about life from Anand- 'I hate that movie'. Okay sir.Indian Police Force is now streaming on Amazon Prime VideoRating: 2 (out of 5 stars)Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.