Sidharth Malhotra calls police officers ‘real heroes’

New Delhi: Sidharth Malhotra, who is set to play a police officer in the ‘Prime Video’ series ‘Indian Police Force’, is honoured to wear the khaki uniform on screen. The actor was speaking in New Delhi at the event ‘Indian Police Ko Salaam’, billed as an ode to the service, commitment and patriotism of Delhi Police officers.

Growing up in Delhi, Malhotra said that he’d often want to interact with the police officers on duty.

“As a citizen, you always want your officers and government to protect you. After I reached a certain position, I think the police service is one of the toughest jobs in the country. They take care of the public and deal with them with so much patience. As an actor, I feel honoured that I got an opportunity to wear the uniform on the screen. We are the reel heroes, you (police officers) are the real heroes,” said the actor, who previously played Kargil war hero Captain Vikram Batra in ‘Shershaah’.

On the stage, Malhotra was joined by ‘Indian Police Force’ director Rohit Shetty, his co-stars Shilpa Shetty and Vivek Oberoi as well as Aparna Purohit, Head of ‘India and South East Asia Originals’, ‘Prime Video’ and Sushant Sriram, Country Director, ‘Prime Video, India’.

Ritu Arora, president of the Police Families Welfare Society (PFWS) and Sanjay Arora, Commissioner of Police, Delhi, were the chief guests at the event, held to commemorate 75 years of the Indian Police Service at the National Police Memorial here.

Not only the officers but their families are also the ‘real heroes’, said Rohit Shetty.

“I know how tough things are for the families of police officers. Both the officer and his family are always on duty till he retires. The sacrifices of the families often don’t get highlighted. Monuments like the National Police Memorial are important so that the youth remember the sacrifice of the brave officers,” the director added.