Real-life Mumbai policemen who went on to act in films, TV serials

What would Indian cinema be without its good and bad cops Can you imagine Deewar 1975 without Ravi Shashi Kapoor a policeman whose staunch values are a stark contrast to his brother Vijayrsquos Amitabh Bachchan corrupt ways and moral degenerationOr what would Sholay 1975 be without Thakur Baldev Singh Sanjeev Kapoor a retired policeman who swears revenge after his entire family is massacred by dacoits Om Shivpuri aka Vardan an impostor of Interpol officer RK Malik in Don 1975 added an interesting twist to the filmrsquos storylineMany more characters like these shaped our impression of policemen and their lives But did you know that these onscreen personalities inspired some reallife cops so much that they gave acting a serious shot Read on to find the reellife story of reallife policemenSagar SalunkeFormer Assistant Commissioner of Police who took voluntary retirement Sagar Salunke is most popular as Balram the character that he played in BR Choprarsquos 1988 television series Mahabharat He has also played substantial roles in bigbudget Hindi movies such as Ganga Jamuna Saraswati 1988 Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharni 1989 Zindagi Ek Juaa 1992 Hindustani 1996 and Garv Pride and Honour 2004Retired ACP Sagar Salunke is known for playing Balram in the television series MahabharatThe cop who is currently playing a detective in the daily crime drama titled Savdhan India maintains that the role of Balram will always hold a special place in his heartHe says ldquoI bagged the role when I was posted with the Santacruz police station Itrsquos very special to me as it helped me showcase my acting prowess In fact the then Commissioner of Police DS Soman officially granted me permission to shoot for the serialrdquoRecalling an incident when he was recognised by a viewer he says ldquoI still remember the time when I was posted at the immigration department of the airport an Indian who is now settled in London came up to me and called me Balram I started laughing but I was very happy because that made me realise that people recognise me Irsquom still in contact with that personrdquoDespite pursuing acting seriously Salunke has worked actively throughout his 32yearlong police career When asked how he managed to juggle acting and policing he says ldquoI never allowed my work to get affected due to my passion for acting I was mostly deputed at branches that had less work so it gave me ample time to pursue my hobby After taking voluntary retirement Irsquove auditioned for roles in different television serialsrdquoRajendra KaneFortysixyearold police inspector Rajendra Kane who is currently posted with Bandra police station has made six short films last year that showed his acting chopsFirtysixyearold Rajendra Kane made six short films last year which showed his acting chopsHe says ldquoLast year when I was posted at Amboli police station I decided to come up with a public awareness campaign which included a short film on bag lifting The then Additional Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nangre Patil liked it so much that he asked me to make more such movies I then made films on housebreaking senior citizensrsquo murder thefts by servants motor vehicle theft and fake policemenrdquoThe short films which were screened at several festivals including the Mumbai University Film Festival showcased the modus operandi of criminals and the precautions a common man should takeldquoMy contacts suggested a convenient location for the movies and also supplied the equipment I directed produced and acted in the films It was quite hectic but the locals were a huge supportrdquo concludes KanePandurang IngulePandurang Ingule who retired from the Mumbai police force last month had joined the force in 1986 as a subinspector He says ldquoWhen I joined the police force people complimented me saying that I have a photogenic face As a result I got several offers for films and television In my 28 years of service I have acted in many movies and TV serials where I have played a cop trying to solve a mystery One of my most prominent roles was that of a crime branch officer who solves a murder case in the 2009 Marathi movie Laganachi Varat Londonchya GharatPandurang Ingule has acted in many movies and TV serials His most prominent role has been in the movie Laganachi Varat Londonchya GharatApart from this Ingule says ldquoWhile working as an assistant police inspector I essayed the role of a cop in 10 episodes of popular Marathi serial Teesra DolardquoIngule was flattered by the fact that several complainants arriving at the police station where he was stationed acknowledged his acting prowess Apart from this he had become a lsquostarrsquo in his hometown Khedegaon I got congratulatory calls from my neighbours and relatives from my native place When I was acting in Teesra Dola complainants at the police station recognised me easily and praised my performancerdquo he recallsNagnath AskulkarRetired Assistant Commissioner of Police Nagnath Askulkar is currently playing a cop in crime drama show Savdhan India The sexagenarian says ldquoI fell in love with acting after participating in school plays I was also fond of singing songs and writing poemsrdquoRtd ACP Nagnath Askulkar is seen in the crime drama Savdhan India PicSameer MarkandeAfter joining the Mumbai police force in the year 1969 he had to put acting on the backburner But in 1988 when he was posted at the Nirmal Nagar police station he got a chance to resurrect his love for the performing arts when he along with his colleagues presented a play based on the life of a police officer at Parel Askulkar confesses that the length of the role has never mattered to him as he just wanted to face the camera He says ldquoI was ready to perform even the shortest role because acting was in my blood Despite retiring from the police force in 2005 offers for television serials continue to pour inrdquo