Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Police has launched its official anthem, ‘Khaki Ka Sitara’, celebrating the men and women behind the uniform and the many roles they perform in the line of duty.

The 6.5-minute anthem was launched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on August 14, with the complete video released on YouTube on August 17. Shankar Mahadevan has composed and sung the song, while Amitabh Bachchan has lent his voice and poetry to the film. The video has been directed by Amit Sonkar, with Ashish Ramesh Pandey as cinematographer. Actor Nana Patekar is also part of the project.

Shot over an extended period from Mahakumbh 2025 to Independence Day 2026, the video brings together different facets of policing, including crowd management, women’s safety, traffic regulation, technology, disaster and relief operations and public service.

At the launch, Yogi Adityanath recognised both the creative team behind the anthem and the police personnel whose work it seeks to celebrate. Addressing the gathering, he acknowledged Mahadevan, Patekar and the personnel present at the event.

Referring to the police personnel, the Chief Minister said, “I extend my greetings to all the officers of the Uttar Pradesh Police and to all our brave personnel present here who are dedicated to the khaki.”

The Chief Minister also extended his congratulations beyond the force and the artists, adding, “Along with the UP Police, I also extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people of Uttar Pradesh for this song of the UP Police.”

The idea of focusing on the people behind the uniform is central to the anthem. Rahul Srivastava, IPS, PRO to the UP DGP, who conceptualised and creatively directed the project, explained that the intention was not simply to showcase the capabilities of the force.

“This song is not just an attempt to show the capabilities of the Uttar Pradesh Police Department. Its core message is to tell the story of the person who is behind the uniform,” Srivastava said.

The video shows police personnel handling different responsibilities, from managing crowds and traffic to responding to emergencies, disasters and assisting citizens.

“A police officer’s duty starts there, where his personal priorities are often left behind,” Srivastava said. “His festival becomes his duty.”

That idea is reflected in the way the video was made. Instead of being built around one staged narrative, the team recorded the force across more than a year, beginning with Mahakumbh 2025 and continuing through Independence Day 2026.

Srivastava described the anthem as “an attempt to convey the courage, sacrifice, discipline, dedication and duty of a police officer through music.” He credited director Amit Sonkar, cinematographer Ashish Ramesh Pandey and the wider creative and production team for presenting “the various units of the Uttar Pradesh Police Department, their challenges, and their causes” through the film.

Legendary actor Bachchan’s contribution became even more visible after the anthem’s release when he shared the UP Police post on social media, writing, “Kuch sitaare aasmaan mein chamakte hain… kuch khaki pehenkar zameen par. Khaki ka sitara.” The post brought further attention to the anthem and its central idea, that many of those being celebrated are people whose work rarely makes the headlines.

T 5827(i) - कुछ सितारे आसमान में चमकते हैं… कुछ ख़ाकी पहनकर ज़मीन पर। ख़ाकी का सितारा⭐ https://t.co/jNlC2c1NjA

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) August 17, 2026

Srivastava made that point directly while describing the purpose of the project.

“Today, Khaki Ka Sitara is also an attempt of this new story. In this, you will see the emotions of thousands of policemen who may never be seen on the screen, whose name may not come in any headline. In reality, they are the stars of our Khaki,” he said.

For Mahadevan, the project offered a different experience after three decades in the music industry. Speaking at the launch, he said, “Today is a very special day for me because I am getting a chance to sit with people whom I respect a lot.”

Mahadevan said the project marked a different kind of experience after 30 years in the music industry. He dedicated the anthem to the Chief Minister and the police force.

The song’s central lines, “Suraksha aapki, sankalp hamara” and “Hum date rahe, hum khade rahe, chattanon jaise ade rahe”, bring together the two ideas running through the production, the responsibility placed on the police and the commitment expected from the people carrying it.

The video moves beyond policing as only law-and-order enforcement, showing the force working at major public gatherings, protecting women, managing traffic, using technology, responding to disasters and assisting citizens.

The title ‘Khaki Ka Sitara’ ultimately recognises not one officer or one operation, but the personnel who remain on duty across different situations, often putting public service ahead of their own routines and priorities.

-BI Bureau