After exploring the Mumbai underworld and the police force in several of his films, Ram Gopal Varma is set to return to the subject with Police Company, a film inspired by the character and career of police officer Daya Naik. Harshvardhan Rane will portray the character inspired by Naik, while the film will feature a large ensemble cast whose details will be announced shortly.
Varma says the film will explore the circumstances that shaped Mumbai’s underworld and led to the formation of a special police squad. According to him, after Dawood Ibrahim eliminated several of his major rivals, his gang evolved into what came to be known as D Company. Dawood subsequently moved to Dubai, leaving Chhota Rajan to oversee the organisation’s operations in Mumbai.
Varma believes the split between Dawood and Rajan created a power vacuum in the city’s underworld. Several rival gangs then attempted to establish themselves and compete for dominance, resulting in a sharp escalation in criminal activity.
As the authorities struggled to contain the growing influence of these gangs, the underworld began attracting young men from states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Varma says the situation eventually prompted the formation of a special police squad to take on the expanding gang network. Between 1997 and 2004, the squad was involved in encounters that resulted in the deaths of more than 300 alleged gangsters, according to Varma.
Police Company continues Varma’s long-standing fascination with the intersection of crime and law enforcement in Mumbai. His earlier films on the subject include Satya, Company, D, Ab Tak Chhappan and The Attacks of 26/11. With Police Company, Varma once again turns his attention to the men and circumstances behind Mumbai’s notorious encounter era.
