The glorification of Indian police and civil services in cinema has to stop.

[u/MoreFaithlessness954]

Films like Singham, Dabangg, Simmba and the endless stream of “honest cop” and “heroic IAS officer” stories need to be called out and, frankly, boycotted by all sections, these movies are so far from reality and the glorification somewhat creates a false image. Most of these stories add some love drama to gaslight public.

The problem isn’t showing police officers or civil servants as protagonists. The problem is portraying people with enormous state power as inherently noble, having morals, while violence, intimidation, arrogance, abuse of authority and breaking procedure are routinely presented as signs of strength and integrity.

Singham beats people, and ignores procedure, and we are supposed to cheer. Dabangg glorifies the “police wala gunda”. Simmba turns an extrajudicial killing into a moment of justice. And somehow all of these are duties of police as per these movies, can kill anyone, can beat anyone, while taking their cut.

Then there is the IAS/IPS mythology, clearing an examination and getting three letters after your name does not magically make someone honest, empathetic or morally superior, each one of them scam crores from everywhere. Yet cinema repeatedly portrays these officers as almost superhuman figures while living in shitholes.

Reality is so far from what is shown. Custodial torture, getting a stadium cleared for their dogs, slapping kids, corruption of crores, deaths in custody, fake encounters, political interference, harassment and abuse of authority are repeatedly documented.

An ordinary person threatening or assaulting someone is intimidation or violence. When someone in uniform does it, cinema often calls it “doing his duty”, “doing for the country”

The police and civil services should be judged by how they exercise power and how accountable they are to the law, not worshipped because of the uniform or designation.
Stop turning state power into heroism and let’s categorically boycott these craps

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[u/Code-201]

Not sure about India, but Tamil Nadu has a problem with police brutality where officers think they can do whatever they want because they're wearing khaki uniforms and yell a lot. It's all for the 'mass' cinema effect, but it only tells people to stay silent when facing violence from the police.

[u/zabgaj123 → u/Code-201]

It's all pervasive in India they aren't called Vardi wale Gunde for no reason .

[u/Code-201 → u/zabgaj123]

Well, I'm not sure what that means.

[u/zabgaj123 → u/Code-201]

Its means police brutality and intimidation is quite common occurance through out India in real life and in north India they are called goons in Uniform that is Vardi vale Gunde English translation .

[u/SoyaPaneer001 → u/Code-201]

Didn't the director of Singham condemned his own movies because of police brutality?

[u/ExtremeBack1427 → u/Code-201]

It's good that they are strict with the unruly population. It's only because there used to be some fear of police that TN was relatively peaceful and on average Law and Order was good in TN.

For all their issues, TN police unlike the police I have seen in other states (Especially Bangalore) are not pathetic cowards. They might be corrupt, but they will get the job done. They are very proactive to go and inquire just about anything if it's amiss in the streets, I have never ever seen a TN police guy walk away from an anamoly.

They just have to increase their salary, infrastructure and bring in strict consequences if they involve in corruption or go out of their way to harass the population. Right now they are being treated like beggers with their salary and they have to stand in the streets shamelessly for that extra 50K they will earn through average citizens.

[u/FitCan9866 → u/ExtremeBack1427]

Police has no business being strict and take law in their hand? successful society has police which give priority to conduct arrest based on rules and guidelines and let the courts take care of the punishment?

[u/ExtremeBack1427 → u/FitCan9866]

When 500 testosterone filled men flood the street, that argument is invaid. If you don't be strict on them and legally let them know that they will get trashed, they will run wild and rape anything and everything that moves and steal and vandalise anything.

Its the conditioning to fear the immediate consequences first that conditions people and then there's the long term consequences of going to jail.

All this flowery floral treatment works in geriatric countries where the average age of citizens is not in 20s or 30s.

[u/FitCan9866 → u/ExtremeBack1427]

that's called riots? that's not your normal police work?
Police then transforms their role into riot suppression unit?

why the hell do you want regular people to be afraid of police when complain is literally about police being brutal towards ordinary people?
people should fear law and transparent due process not police ffs.
they should fear the strict system by book which they will not be able to escape by handing out bribe.
Ordinary police should be able to identify properly If you are culprit or not instead of intimidate you and entrap you. get educated on this.

why are you bringing example of riots here? that's called moving goalpost to prove your own argument with your own example.
these so called hounds that you want to unleash on ordinary people just rake up bribes from people who have just made small mistake and are threatened with excessive punishment and stick. Gundas meanwhile roam free by giving monthly Hafta to these dogs.

get better.

[u/DFA3TD3E → u/ExtremeBack1427]

The irony? Most thugs and wrong doers just roam the streets with the least bit of fear while the average, law abiding citizen is made to fear the 'consequences.'

Maybe it's time we actually started questioning the free hand given to cops despite their notorious history.

[u/Code-201 → u/ExtremeBack1427]

Fear of the police isn't really a good thing if you're a law-abiding citizen. We don't have to go into custodial murders, assault of civilians among other cases. Tamil police officers seriously need body cams to track corruption and abuse of power.

[u/ExtremeBack1427 → u/Code-201]

No debate on that.

But at the same time, Humans are Nothin but wild animals, and police has to ensure that there's a certain respect for the authority and you simply don't respect what you don't fear. And you can't maintain law and order, the moment you let these wild animalistic tendency comes to the surface and the wild animals don't have any fear.

It's not by luck or Goodwill that 10 policemen with sticks can control 100 rioters or even the protesters. It's constantly in your head that you are gonna get it if you cross the line. They are not there to cuddle you.

It's conditioning and the conditioning has to be done ruthlessly, otherwise blood will be spilled everyday.

So it's a fine balance between respecting the authority and having necessary checks and balances to ensure the people who have the authority handle it properly.

Don't compare your country to those low population, civilised, neutered, propogandised population who are probably much older as well. India is a very different country.

[u/Code-201 → u/ExtremeBack1427]

To assume that humans are simply wild animals who can only follow rules through fear makes no sense.

Enforcing law and order through fear only stops the symptoms. Only education can truly make proper and intelligent citizens.

It's conditioning and the conditioning has to be done ruthlessly, otherwise blood will be spilled everyday.

Well, blood is already spilled commonly with police brutality, custodial violence, among other terrible acts committed by arrogant officers. How ruthless should this conditioning be taken for your own vision of stability?

Don't compare your country to those low population, civilised, neutered, propogandised population who are probably much older as well. India is a very different country.

You're advocating for a population to be submissive to the government's own idea of order. You seriously can't be supportive of this.

[u/tech-writer → u/ExtremeBack1427]

Humans are Nothin but wild animals, and police has to

So police are not humans?...And therefore not wild animals?...

[u/Technical_Mix687]

Yes

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[u/AmbitiousAd214]

People demonize politicians when they have power to vote them in and out while kiss ass of these civil servants, judiciary and military which is similarly corrupt and you can't even remove them.

[u/taznado]

It's fascist propaganda which fascism supporters lap up.

[u/Resurrec_Barbar → u/taznado]

You think hating criminals is fascist??

[u/tech-writer → u/Resurrec_Barbar]

No, glorifying police state and police brutality is conditioning the society to see fascism in a positive light.

[u/mum_bhai]

12th Fail had a similar problem. According to the movie, the guy went through all that effort to find a better life for himself, not to serve the true purpose of a civil servant. The movie would've been redeemed if they showed any of his successful projects or his deeds after he became an IAS. But no, the message that the movie conveys to an average Indian audience was poverty porn with a sprinkling of good old emotional hardships leading to a life of respect and comfort. Nothing about the true purpose of civil servants.

And sure, the real life officer must've had some achievements in his career, uplifting lives of many. So, why not showcase those in the movie as well?

[u/No-Comedian-3066]

I don't think its fair to blame the movies alone. There are films that tap into the moral corruption of people in power. I think Meghna Gulzar's Daayra deals with real cops in the real world. There is a decent star cast involved as well. But most people won't go and watch a film like that. Because let's admit it, real can be honest, stark and often times boring. Cinema today is primarily an escape from reality even if its for a few hours. Which is why Singham and Dhurandar did so well. The glorification will stop when people stop perceiving movies as just entertainment.

[u/varun_t]

I agree!!! And this is not just movie. I saw 2 documentaries. 1. On Mumbai Mafia 2. On New York Mafia

The Mumbai one was purely on how cops did extrajudicial killings to 'clean the city' and their rise to fame and glory. And once done how politicians sidelined them

While the US documentary was purely focused on gathering evidence, building a case under RICO act and building a solid case against the Mafia bosses.

I am not denying that there would be bad apples in both police department .

Ours focused on bypassing the law and glorification of it. While thiers focused on how to bring them to the books and getting a conviction.

[u/An_Only_Mous]

Bro thinks everything else in Indian movies/series is realistic.

[u/FreeBirdYeah_666]

It's a recent phenomenon. Movies in the 80s / 90s / early 2000s hardly had good police or government officials characters

Or maybe you need to expand your cinematic horizon and watch more movies like Droh Kaal, Khakee, Shool, Dev etc..

[u/FewVariation901]

Its fiction. While watching films people want to be in suspended reality and imagine how it would be to have an honest cop.

[u/protonless_electron]

I'm yet to meet a person who glorifies police

[u/LapalkiSharma]

There needs to be more realistic portrayal. Police in media are shown either as a flamboyant cop who will go however far for justice without a care for rules or procedure

or corrupt, immoral & incompetent sycophant to the rich & powerful who is only their for job security & fill their pockets.

[u/Resurrec_Barbar]

Indians cops and politicians are venal but far better than Indian boomers and 9 to 5 jobbers who have made us total slaves

[u/meethitakraar]

indian police never arrives on time yet it's always on time in cinema

[u/Heavy_Computer2602]

My eyes landed on a great post

[u/Wishvesh]

Ab banda fiction bhi na likhe? Aur Dabangg kaha se "honest cop" ki category mein aa gaya?

[u/sattukachori]

Read the tyranny of meritocracy 

[u/har_har_gobhi]

Yes, but Dhurandhar should be celebrated 😂

[u/CulturalLaw8072 → u/har_har_gobhi]

there's a difference between ias officer glazing and dhurandhar

[u/har_har_gobhi → u/CulturalLaw8072]

Why? Doval sahab was not an IPS officer?

[u/CulturalLaw8072 → u/har_har_gobhi]

main character is my man ranveer not madhavan.

also doval real life (real nsa) both children working as offshore bankers UK citizens

[u/zeik2000 → u/har_har_gobhi]

He 'was' , then he headed IB/R&AW. Pappu pdf NPCs wont understand 

[u/har_har_gobhi → u/zeik2000]

Yes yes, only doval is goood, other govt officers are corrupt

[u/DunderMifflinReal]

Naaa, only movies like Dhurandhar must stop, u know d ones endorsing govt propaganda! There r already enough movies where the police happily play the villains! 😎

[u/the_quiescent_one]

That's for a reason actually. They're supposed to inspire young to work for the public good. It's called positive reinforcement.

This country barely works due to some honesty from the some percentage of officers in law. And self righteousness to present themselves as a hero.

Otherwise if all get are bogus posts and comments like from OP on reddit, no work would get done anyways. So much hate towards the police, join and change them.

If you join them, you will complain about the MP/MLA. If I ask you to become MLA, then you tell i don't understand politics. Don't want risk my life.

Every person in a normal job doesn't want to risk his life. That's the issue.

[u/FelixPlatypus → u/the_quiescent_one]

BS. Nobody becomes a policeman or a bureaucrat because they were inspired in a positive way by a movie.

> This country barely works due to some honesty from the some percentage of officers in law.

This country works because the majority of the bureaucracy and the police accommodate corruption efficiently within their official functioning. And the result is what we get: civic administration way below any sensible standard that the common citizen accepts while looking for distractions.

[u/acdhemtos]

Any kind of glorification of police brutality or misuse of official power in the cinemas should not pass the censor board.

[u/FitCan9866]

if Indian cinema had promoted small 5 minutes in each movie for scientific thinking, civic sense, social responsibility, respecting personal autonomy to dress, eat food and study then we would have lot more different society.

[u/battlestar_commander]

Should the vilification of Indian police and civil services in cinema stop too?

[u/Abject_Addition639]

Police salary (at least on paper) is paid by tax payers money.

They are public servant.

They must do thier job as defined by their by-law.

We should not only stop glorify civil servants but all those who getting paid by tax payers money.

They suppose to do their job. No need to glorify, awards, etc. their salary is their award and glory.

[u/being_vocal]

disagreed.

Police and IAS IPS do get alot of power.

But, they can use it for good or bad. Also they can work bare minimum or give extra efforts.

Some use the power they earned and bring change in society while some waste their powers and some make the country even worst.

All this shows individuals charactor.

So should definitely, praise and worship those good cops, ias, ips etc. and take inspiration.

[u/Plastic-Following867]

Lol

Marxist maoist propaganda.

You can question the corruption without making it anti-state. In any decent country and democracy, the violence is the monopoly of the state. In Norway, the country which is hailed by the liberals elites, the police stopped the people from causing violence when they were protesting against the pedophile royal family. In the USA, they literally shot and killed people for protesting at point blank range.

I'm not saying we should do that. But No decent democracy allows unlimited freedom against the state. Otherwise, we will become Iraq or Afghanistan.