Lucknow: On the occasion of Police Commemoration Day-2026, the Uttar Pradesh Police has released a special short film titled ‘Vardi’ to pay tribute to the brave police personnel who made the supreme sacrifice of laying down their lives in the line of duty. Produced under the guidance of Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna, the film sensitively portrays the courage, dedication and devotion to duty of martyred police personnel, while also highlighting the changes in the lives of their families and the emotional pain they endure following their sacrifice. The film has been released on the social media platforms of the Uttar Pradesh Police.
The film specifically highlights the exceptional courage and supreme sacrifice of brave martyred Uttar Pradesh STF Inspector Sunil Kumar, who was awarded the Kirti Chakra. On October 1, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath honoured the late Sunil Kumar’s wife, Munesh Devi, by presenting her with a cash amount and an angavastram.
Through the film, an effort has been made to convey that while the families of personnel who lay down their lives to protect the country and society take pride in their sacrifice, the emptiness and pain caused by the absence of their loved ones also become a part of their lives. The film portrays the silent wait and emotional struggle of martyrs’ families, which is often difficult to express in words.
The film has been directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, an acclaimed director, writer and actor who has received the Filmfare Award. Bollywood actor Amit Sadh, senior television actress Alka Amin and Nazish Khan have played the leading roles in the film. The voice-over and script have been prepared by Constable Kapil Dinkar, who is posted at the Uttar Pradesh Police Social Media Centre, while the creative direction has been handled by Rahul Srivastava, IPS, Public Relations Officer to the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, and Superintendent of Police.
The film has been produced in collaboration with the Department of Information and Public Relations, Uttar Pradesh. It was shot in Mumbai.
Tigmanshu Dhulia is known in Hindi cinema for films such as ‘Haasil’, ‘Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster’, ‘Paan Singh Tomar’, ‘Bullet Raja’ and ‘Raag Desh’. His directorial film ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ received the award for Best Feature Film at the 60th National Film Awards.
Tigmanshu Dhulia and Sanjay Chauhan were honoured with the Filmfare Award for the screenplay of the same film. Amit Sadh, meanwhile, is recognised for his performances in films such as ‘Kai Po Che!’, ‘Sultan’, ‘Gold’, ‘Sarkar 3’ and ‘Shakuntala Devi’, as well as in web series such as ‘Breathe’ and ‘Breathe: Into the Shadows’. Senior actress Alka Amin is an alumna of the National School of Drama and is known for her nuanced performances in films such as ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ and ‘Badhaai Ho’.
It may be noted that during the intervening night of January 20-21, 2025, Inspector Sunil Kumar of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) was critically injured after being shot during an encounter with criminals belonging to the Mukim Kala gang in Shamli. Despite being injured, he continued to lead the STF team, displaying exceptional courage and devotion to duty. Under his leadership, the police team retaliated in self-defence, during which four criminals, including Arshad, carrying a reward of ₹1 lakh, were killed. Owing to the bullet injuries sustained during the encounter, Inspector Sunil Kumar attained martyrdom on January 22, 2025.
Through ‘Vardi’, released on Police Commemoration Day, the Uttar Pradesh Police has sought to take the saga of the sacrifice, dedication and devotion to duty of its brave martyrs to the masses and inspire police personnel towards service to the nation.
