MUMBAI : Bollywood sensation Shilpa Shetty has marked her debut in the world of over-the-top (OTT) content with Rohit Shetty's venture into streaming, "Indian Police Force." The series is a part of Rohit Shetty's Cop Universe and features Shilpa in the role of the head of Gujarat Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad. In an exclusive conversation with DNA, Shilpa shares insights into her decision to take on this project, her return to action-packed roles, and the preparation for her character.

Despite having multiple web series offers at her disposal, Shilpa chose "Indian Police Force" over others. She mentions, "I had a couple of other offers, one of which was supposed to be headlined by me. But I put that all aside to make my OTT debut with Indian Police Force, with Rohit. I thought it would be a great combination, and in an avatar that would make other women really proud."

The role demanded Shilpa to embody the appearance of a police officer and engage in action sequences, prompting her to adopt a tougher physical persona. Shilpa recalls, "Rohit kept telling me, 'I need you to put on a little more weight because when she fights, you have to look tough.' I am actually very lean so I did put on a little weight, leg weight, so that the kick looks powerful."

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Shilpa's last substantial venture into action was in 2005 with Anubhav Sinha’s "Dus." Now, as a mother to an 11-year-old who appreciates action films, Shilpa reveals the pivotal role her son played in her decision to take up the offer. She shares, "I did this because of my son. I didn’t think I would be able to do this because I was really busy when Rohit approached me. I was busy filming Sukhee. It was my son’s reaction to the offer that made me change my mind, not that I didn’t want to work with Rohit."

Despite initial reservations about time constraints, Shilpa's son convinced her to seize the opportunity. She reflects, "Sometimes you feel so terrible as a mum that you’d rather leave a great project if you get that extra time. But he said ‘come what may you have to do this, I want to see you play this cop. It’s Rohit Shetty.’"

The actress beams with pride as she shares the memorable moment when her son watched the trailer and exclaimed, ‘that’s my mom!’ Shilpa considers it a proud moment both as a mother and an artist.

"Indian Police Force," an eight-part series, premiered on Amazon Prime Video on January 19, featuring a stellar cast including Sidharth Malhotra and Vivek Oberoi.

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Credit: DNA