Lucknow, Oct 21 A short film depicting the courage and sacrifice of a police officer killed in an encounter and the grief of his family was released on Wednesday by the Uttar Pradesh Police on Police Commemoration Day 2026.
Titled ‘Vardi’, the film portrays the life and sacrifice of Inspector Sunil Kumar of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), who was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, the police said in a statement.
Produced under the guidance of Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna, the film seeks to highlight the courage, dedication and sense of duty of police personnel who lay down their lives in the line of duty, the statement said.
It also depicts the emotional toll of a martyr’s death on the family, portraying the pride associated with a loved one’s service to the nation alongside the pain of their absence.
Directed by filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia, ‘Vardi’ features Amit Sadh, Alka Amin and Nazish Khan.
Constable Kapil Dinkar, posted at the UP Police Social Media Centre, wrote the script and voice-over, while IPS officer Rahul Srivastava, the DGP’s public relations officer, handled the creative direction.
The film was produced in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Department of Information and Public Relations and shot in Mumbai. It was released on the UP Police’s social media platforms on Police Commemoration Day, the statement said.
Inspector Sunil Kumar was critically injured by gunfire during an encounter with members of the Mukeem Kala gang in Shamli district in the intervening night of January 20 and 21, 2025.
Despite being injured, he continued to lead the STF team. Four criminals, including Arshad, who carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh, were killed in the police team’s retaliatory action in self-defence under his leadership, police said.
Kumar succumbed to his injuries on January 22, 2025.
The police said ‘Vardi’ aims to bring the stories of fallen personnel to a wider audience and inspire serving officers to remain committed to their duty and service to the nation.
Dhulia is known for films such as ‘Haasil’, ‘Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster’, ‘Paan Singh Tomar’, ‘Bullet Raja’ and ‘Raag Desh’.
‘Paan Singh Tomar’ won the Best Feature Film award at the 60th National Film Awards.
(PTI News)
